Vikings of Berk: Defenders of The Skies
by FictionalDrifter
Summary: The events following "Vikings of Berk: Rise of the Dragons"; which I suggest you read first, if you haven't already. Based on episodes from the second season of the TV- series. {I don't own HTTYD, or any of the characters in this story.} UPDATED AND RE-POSTED VERSION.
1. Chapter 1

**Vikings of Berk: Defenders of the Skies**

 _ **Prologue,**_

 _Two weeks had passed since the Vikings of Berk had forged their alliance with the Night- Furies of Toothless's long- thought- lost colony._

 _Two weeks since the entire colony of Night- Furies had relocated to the island of Berk; and settled- into their new system of caves, on the far side of the island._

 _Twelve days since Hiccup had entered 'The Dragon Trance', and forged his new armour and sword from the unique deposit of ore; that was a gift to him, from the Night- Furies._

 _The true affect of the new sense of security that had settled over the villagers; following their forming an alliance with the Night- Furies, was only now becoming apparent: Without having to worry about attackers striking under the cover of night, while their new allies kept watch, the Vikings were able to sleep long and deep at night.  
Everyone was less irritable; quarrels became less frequent, less 'heated', and easier to resolve. It took Stoick several days to break his habit of bringing out a block of ice; to treat the headache he'd always seem to develop by the end of a 'normal' day, the habit was so deeply ingrained.  
Berk was not without enemies, they all knew it; but the threat their foes posed didn't seem nearly as potent as it once had. Besides, even in times of peace, it was not in a Viking's nature to 'go soft'. _

**A New Training Exercise**

In the Dragon Training Academy of Berk, five Viking teens were gathered, along with their dragons: Hiccup and his Night- Fury, Toothless; Astrid and her Deadly- Nadder, Stormfly; Fishlegs and his Gronkle, Meatlug; Snotlout and his Monstrous- Nightmare, Hookfang; and the twins: Ruff and Tuff, who shared the two- headed Zippleback, Barf and Belch.

As one might expect, though, Hiccup – the first Viking to ride a dragon; the one that, with ' _some_ ' help, forged the peace between the Vikings of Berk and the dragons; and the son and heir of Chief Stoick, was the official leader of the Riders of Berk.

"Ok, gang: Over here," Hiccup called, gesturing to the other Vikings to join him and Astrid; where they stood, in front of the wooden boards they used to pin maps and the like. When everyone had gathered, Hiccup continued, "Tomorrow's training- mission was actually Astrid's idea; so: I'll let her explain it."

As Astrid stepped forward, Snotlout and the twins groaned. "What?" Astrid's satisfied expression falling away, as she spoke.

"Your training missions are so hard," Fishlegs replied, holding up a bandaged hand, as he spoke. "I mean… 'Hand- to- claw combat'?" Meatlug licked her rider's bandaged hand, and Fishlegs hugged the dragon in return.

Astrid's heart fell, but Hiccup spoke- up before she could, " _All_ of our training- missions give us a chance to test our limits _without_ placing ourselves in actual danger." Fishlegs looked as though he was about to say more, but Hiccup held up a finger, "If you happened to come across a wild- dragon when you're alone, for example… Wouldn't it be better to know how to fight that species of dragon, or how to evade it if you can't; by practicing with one that _isn't_ actually _trying_ to kill you?"

Fishlegs was silent for a moment, "Huh… I never thought about it like that."

Snotlout snorted, "Ok, fine; but 'Spine- Dodging'?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow at Snotlout, "Would you prefer it if they hit you?"

In a voice heavy with sarcasm, Astrid muttered, "Wouldn't _that_ be a _tragedy_." Hiccup grinned, but showed no other sign that he'd heard. Snotlout blinked, understood, and scowled.

Hiccup continued, "Nadder- spines, crossbow- bolts; it's a good training- exercise… kind of wish I'd thought of it."

 _Two weeks ago, a few hours before Hiccup had entered the Dragon- Trance; he and Astrid had found a few minutes to themselves, to talk. It was then that Hiccup admitted that he'd 'put the pieces together', and had figured out 'what Astrid wasn't saying.'  
That had marked the end of the awkwardness that had plagued Astrid, ever since she'd come to realize her true feelings towards Hiccup. Since then, the two of them were more casual and comfortable in their daily interactions; and they were pretty sure that the change had not gone unnoticed.  
Snotlout continued to pester Astrid; he was either oblivious to, or deliberately ignoring, the fact that she had _no _interest in him._

Struggling not to blush at Hiccup's praise, indirect though it was; Astrid forced her mind back to the topic at hand. "And this mission is easy: 'Dragon Island," she said – gesturing to the map as she spoke, "You just need to go from this beach on the east side, to this cave on the west side." The others seemed to relax, moving forward to take a closer look at the map. "At night," Shocked exclamations from the others. "With no camping gear," Exclamations of disbelief from the others, "And no dragons." Astrid finished, trying not to laugh at the others' expressions.

"What? That's crazy: What's the point?" It was Snotlout, of course.

Astrid had expected the question, and had her answer ready, "To work on our stealth- skills, and our wild- dragon defense."

"Astrid's right," Hiccup said, picking- up where Astrid left- off. "We all know how strong we are _with_ our dragons, but we have to be able to survive and defend ourselves if we ever get separated from them." Snotlout rolled his eyes; Ruff and Tuff grumbled, but no one argued.

"Trust me," Astrid finished, "It'll be fun!" More grumbling followed this; but, with Hiccup's support, it didn't faze her. There had been times when part of her wondered whether Hiccup was simply humoring her by introducing her ideas as training- missions, but the explanations he'd given made sense.

 _That night,_

After only a few hours in the air, Dragon Island appeared, on the horizon. As instructed, none of them had brought any camping- gear. However, each of them carried a lit lantern, and Hiccup had brought his latest 'project': An ornate metal shield that didn't appear to be anything special, despite Hiccup's assurances that there was more to it than met the eye.

Once they'd landed, they set out along the beach; towards the spot where they would split- up, and begin to make their way towards the cave that was their goal.

When they reached the spot, Hiccup said, "Ok: One of us is going to have to skip the drill and take the dragons to the gave on the far side of the island. That way, they won't try to help us."

At that exact moment, a wild- dragon, a Deadly- Nadder, appeared out of nowhere. Before any of them could react, Toothless and Stormfly had driven it away.

"Just like that," Hiccup finished.

Seeing a way out, Fishlegs went for it, "I think the obvious choice is…"

"Me," Tuff interrupted, "Me; I volunteer!"

So, once the others had dismounted, Tuff and the dragons rose into the sky. A moment later, they were out of sight. With no reason to delay, the riders wished each other good- luck; and set off into the woods, each picking a different path to follow.

 _Astrid,_

Mere minutes after the five of them had parted ways, Astrid encountered her first dragon: a Deadly- Nadder. Familiar as she was with this species of dragon, she avoided its attacks with ease. Before long, it lost interest in her, and went on its way.

 _Hiccup,_

Hiccup's first dragon- encounter was with a pair of Gronkles. Without a second thought, he snatched up two chunks of medium- sized chunks of granite; which, he recalled, Fishlegs had said was "Mestlug's favorite".

The moment the rocks left his hand, the two Gronkles lost interest in Hiccup, and lumbered off after the unexpected- treat.

Hiccup was about to continue on his way, when he saw, "A campfire… Seriously? What part of ' _stealth_ 'skills is so hard to understand?" He sighed, and he set- off in the new direction.

 _Snotlout,_

Meanwhile, Snotlout was making his way to the top of a cliff. When he reached the top; he spotted a log, which had fallen across a chasm, forming a reasonably sturdy- looking bridge.

Snotlout made his way to the log, set down the lantern and stretched- out on the log; complimenting himself on being "at- home in the wilderness".

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he lost his balance, fell off the log, and landed with a splash in a small, but, fortunately for him, deep pool.

Snotlout swam to the edge, and pulled himself out; more than a little relieved that no one had been there to see him.

 _Two hours later,_

 _Hiccup,_

After what must have been close to two hours, Hiccup was nearing the clearing where the campfire blazed. He entered the clearing, fully expecting to see Snotlout sitting by the fire. Much to his surprise, he saw that; aside from with a small- arsenal of weapons, the clearing was empty.

Convinced that Snotlout had to be near- by, Hiccup was about to call out, when something slammed into him from behind, and he went down!

A moment later, having regained his bearings, Hiccup looked up to see "Dagur!"

The Chief of the Berserkers' Tribe was just as surprised to see him, "Hiccup; old friend!" He exclaimed, 'helping' Hiccup to his feet. "You're alive!"

"Uh… Last time I checked," Hiccup replied, while his mind raced. "Dagur… Uh; how long has it been since…?"

"Since you saved me from that dragon- attack, back on Berk!" Dagur's sentence drifted off, "Speaking of which: what happened to that Night- Fury that attacked you?"

"Oh, uh… It got away." Hiccup managed, grateful, for once, that he and Toothless weren't traveling together.

But Dagur didn't seem to be listening, and he had a strange look in his eyes, "Come to think of it; just _what are you_ doing here?"

"What am I doing here…?" Hiccup repeated; as he raced to come up with an answer that Dagur would buy.

"Don't answer that!" Dagur broke- in, "I know _exactly_ why you're here! You're here for the same reason I am: You're here… to hunt dragons!"

' _Well that's as good an answer as any; since he's obviously willing to buy it_ ,' Hiccup decided. Aloud he said, "Ok; you got me: That's … why I'm here; All by myself." Hiccup spoke the last three words he said 'slightly' louder than was necessary; on the off chance that one of his friends happened to have spotted the fire, as he has, and was near- by.

Once they'd caught- up, nothing would do but for Dagur to show- off all of the hunting- trophies from his current visit to the island. Finally, Hiccup had to ask, "Just… how long have you been here, Dagur?"

"What? Oh, uh… A couple of days; weeks, maybe… Hard to tell: It's all a blur when I'm on the hunt!" He shot to his feet, then, "But what are we doing sitting around here for? There're more than enough dragons here for both of us!" Dagur turned set- off, into the forest. Reluctantly, Hiccup followed: What other choice was there?

 _An hour later,_

One hour after Hiccup had, unintentionally, teamed- up with Dagur; they heard a rustling in the underbrush. Dagur had his crossbow up and ready to fire; and he would have, if Snotlout hadn't burst out into the open – mere seconds before Dagur could launch a bolt.

The moment Snotlout saw Hiccup, he said, "Hiccup; oh, am I glad to see you! You would not believe what I've been up to; this place is crawling with dragons!"

Hiccup rolled his eyes; "It's _called_ 'Dragon Island' for a reason, Snotlout."

Then Snotlout saw Dagur, "Dagur! What are you doing here?"

Dagur also rolled his eyes; "Snot… hat; is it?" Snotlout corrected him, but Dagur had turned his attention to Hiccup. "I thought you said you were here alone."

Fortunately, Hiccup had anticipated just such an encounter, and he had his answer ready, "Well… I was; but then I found you, and now we found Snotlout."

Even as he spoke, he shot Snotlout a look that – ' _Thank Thor_ ' – Snotlout seemed to understand, "Well; what are we standing around here for? These dragons aren't going to hunt themselves … Well, some might; but that's not the point: Am I right?"

This seemed to satisfy, or at least distract, Dagur; and they continued on their way.

By the end of the second hour, they'd also found Fishlegs; and Hiccup was sure he'd caught the briefest glimpse of Astrid. Just before Snotlout almost gave- away her presence: He was about to call her by name, of all the simple- minded things to do!

As they walked, Dagur said, "You know; we're a lot alike, Hiccup."

This surprised Hiccup, "Really? How… How's that?"

"Well; we're both born- leaders, sons of chiefs," Fishlegs voiced his agreement with Dagur on both of those points, and Hiccup also had to agree. Dagur continued, "Who then had to be eliminated; so that we could gain control!"

"Yeah… Wait – What?" For a moment, Hiccup was sure he'd misheard. "No, no: My dad hasn't been … ' _eliminated_ ' from _anything_!"

"But he could be; easily… Just say the word, and," Without warning, Dagur thumbed the release on his crossbow. In less time than it took to breathe, the point of the crossbow- bolt had punched into the trunk of a tree, the shaft of the bolt still quivering.

There was a moment of silence, then; which ended when Hiccup said, "Yeah… That's… Something to think about." Even though Hiccup was facing away from them, the others could tell from his tone that the mere idea was deeply troubling to Hiccup.

A sudden noise caught Dagur's attention, and he rushed off to investigate it. The moment he was gone, Astrid stepped out of hiding, "Did Dagur say that he was hunting a Night- Fury? Hiccup; it must be Toothless!"

"I know; and if he's loose, that means that all of our dragons are! The rest of you have got to go find Ruff and Tuff: Find your dragons and…"

The sound of footsteps announced Dagur's return. A moment later, he reappeared, making his way back to where they waited.

Unfortunately, Dagur caught sight of Astrid before she could leap out of sight… Looking first at Astrid, and than at Hiccup, Dagur said, "Another one? Did you leave _anyone_ back on Berk?"

Hiccup thought fast; turned to the others, and said, "I can't hunt with an entourage: Go back to Berk; leave us to our business!" He saw the concern in Astrid's expression, and shot her a look that said, ' _Don't worry; I'll be fine_!'

Astrid, Fishlegs and Snotlout hurried off; to do as Hiccup had asked: They had to find their dragons, and they didn't have time to waste.

 _Soon after the others had left_ ,

It was, perhaps, five minutes after the others had left that Dagur caught his first glimpse of Toothless. With a shout of "THERE!" he charged after the jet- black dragon.

Hiccup had known roughly where his dragon was from the moment that he and Toothless were within a half- mile of each- other. When that distance had shrunk to a quarter- mile, Hiccup drew on the bond that connected the two of them, and used it to relay everything he knew about where they were; and of Dagur's hunt, across to Toothless.

He could tell when Toothless received the information: He could feel both Toothless's anger, and his determination; now he was here.

By the time Hiccup caught- up with Dagur, he'd backed Toothless up to the edge of the edge of the cliff. The black- dragon was using a rocky shelf, which rose up above them, for cover.

Before Hiccup could ask, projected his voice into Hiccup's mind, **'Dagur's fleet is in just off the coast: If I try to fly, I will be an easy target… There is only one option left to us.'**

He didn't have to tell Hiccup what it was.

"Dagur: I'm not going to let you kill that dragon," Hiccup said, while Dagur was still trying to find a clear shot.

Dagur sighed, "Fine: You saw it first! You can take home… a wing, or something."

"Actually, I plan on taking the whole thing." Hiccup took a deep breath, and let out a flawless Night- Fury call. Before Hiccup's call had faded to silence, Toothless had leapt to the top of the rocky outcropping; answered Hiccup's call, with his own.

Then, in a single leap, Toothless launched himself from the top of the outcropping, landing next to Hiccup.

For a moment, Dagur was in shock: his mind struggling to process the most recent turn of events. Finally, he managed to say, "Is that a…"

"Saddle," Hiccup finished. "Yes, Dagur: That's exactly what it is."

The shock in Dagur's eyes quickly turned into anger, "So I was…"

"Right, all along," Hiccup confirmed, climbing into Toothless's saddle as he spoke. "We do not kill dragons on Berk; we ride them."

"Your father lied to me; _you_ lied to me!"

"We were trying to keep the peace between our tribes," Hiccup corrected.

"By making a fool of _me_?"

"You… don't really need a lot of help with that," Hiccup commented.

"You could have been my brother, Hiccup," Dagur began; then his eyes narrowed, "But now, you're my enemy!"

"Have it your way," Hiccup shrugged. "But remember this, Dagur: We have the dragons, and we're not afraid to use them." Toothless punctuated the end of Hiccup's sentence with a deep, echoing growl. Then Toothless took off, and began to rise into the sky.

Glancing back, Hiccup saw Dagur pluck something from his belt, in preparation to hurl it at them. In the distance, but drawing closer by the second, he saw Astrid, Fishlegs, and the twins… all of them sitting on their respective dragons!

Knowing he had only seconds, Hiccup yanked his shield off his arm; and pressed one of the small levers, concealed inside.

Immediately, the shield split along the center; from top to bottom, and the mechanism of a crossbow clicked into place! Plucking several arrows from his quiver, he shot them; one after another; at Dagur, forcing him to take cover. When Dagur again got to his feet, Hiccup and Toothless were out of range.

By the time Dagur's enraged bellow had faded to silence, Hiccup and Toothless had re-joined their friends; who were busy complimenting the new 'toy', Hiccup had developed.

Once Hiccup told them about the Berserker fleet, however, they decided that now would be a good time to go.

They dragons turned in the direction of Berk: They were going home.

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Secret of the Frightmare**

 **Part One – Arvendole's Fire**

 _Flashback; ten years earlier_ ,

 _The evening sky had filled with a ghostly blue light, as it did only once every ten years. Normally, such a sight would have enthralled all who witnessed it; but on the island of Berk, it heralded the arrival of a terrifying creature; One that had nearly destroyed Berk, the last time it had appeared: The...  
"The Frightmare is here! The Frightmare is here! Barricade yourself in the safety of your homes: The Frightmare is…"  
Most heeded the warning the moment they heard it; with the exception of a grown Viking, 'Fearless Finn' Hofferson; and his niece, Astrid; the latter a mere child. Both of them made their way toward the part of the village where the shouts were coming from… That is: until 'Fearless Finn' noticed that he wasn't alone._  
 _"Oh, no you don't, Astrid," He said, turning back to face her, his expression firm. "This is not a battle for you…" He placed a hand on his niece's shoulder even as another roar sounded, from the direction they'd been going. "Not yet, anyway." Finn made to continue in the direction of the sounds; but, before he left, he added, "Now you wait here: Your Uncle Finn is just going to make sure that nasty dragon doesn't destroy Berk again._ "  
 _Astrid did as she was told, so she didn't see what had happened, but she heard the shout, a moment later: Her uncle, 'Fearless Finn' Hofferson, had 'frozen' in apparent fear, and the Frightmare had finished him off.  
Astrid made to go after the Frightmare herself, but Gobber had stopped her, "It's going to take a lot more than that wee axe, Astrid." She knew he was right, but she swore to herself that she would not forget this: The next time the Frightmare returned to Berk, it would wish it had _never _set eyes on the island… She'd make sure of it._

 _Present day,_

Astrid had been at the dragon- training arena for hours, now; hacking apart every target- dummy she could find.

"I think you got them… All of them," Hiccup commented, once he and Toothless entered the arena, and had surveyed the carnage they'd walked into the middle of.

Astrid jumped; she'd been so focused on what she'd been doing, she hadn't heard them enter. Seeing Hiccup, she relaxed, slightly.  
Joining her in the center of the arena, Hiccup asked, "How long have you been here?"

Astrid sighed, "Since this morning; the Frightmare's probably on its way right now, and I'm going to be ready for it."

Snotlout, who'd just entered the arena, snorted, "You're wasting your time; when the Frightmare comes, the Hoffersons freeze! Just ask 'Frozen- Finn' Hofferson; right, Astrid? I mean, you are a…"

A split second later, the blade of Astrid's axe embedded itself in the wall of the arena: Less than a foot from Snotlout's nose.

Fortunately for Snotlout, Hiccup stepped in, "Ok, ok… Lets all just take a deep breath." He was speaking to her; Astrid knew, but he was also glaring at Snotlout. This made it _a little_ easier for her to calm down.

Without a word to Snotlout, she retrieved her axe from the arena wall, and stalked out; followed by Stormfly. A moment later, Hiccup and Toothless followed them.

 _Soon afterwards…_

The four of them stopped at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the ocean. For several minutes, nobody spoke. Finally, Astrid said, "Does he think it's some kind of joke?"

Hiccup knew she was talking about Snotlout. "Astrid; your Uncle faced a dragon we know almost- nothing about, and it takes a lot of courage to face the unknown… There has to be more to the Frightmare than meets the eye; that's the only explanation that makes sense. Ignore _anyone_ who says otherwise; your Uncle was _not_ a coward."

Hiccup could see Astrid relax, slightly, though several minutes passed before Astrid said; "Are you going to try to stop me?" When Hiccup raised an eyebrow, in a silent question; she elaborated, "From facing the Frightmare… Are you going to stop me?"

Hiccup turned to face her, "No."

Seeing the surprise on Astrid's face, Hiccup continued, "You feel like you need to prove yourself, and I know that feeling; I've lived with it for most of my life. I won't stop you, as long as you let me help. Besides: If you're going up against the Frightmare, you'll need both speed and stealth … As in 'Night- Fury speed and stealth'." Hiccup paused, tilting his head towards where Toothless was standing. "Deal?"

Astrid was stunned: It was more than she'd hoped for. She smiled, and nodded, "Deal."

"Good." Somewhat to her surprise, Hiccup got to his feet. Then he added, "We should go talk to Fishlegs: I asked him to read- up on the Frightmare; see if he could find anything useful."

 _Midafternoon; near the Great Hall_ ,

Hiccup and Astrid had almost made it to the Great Hall, when they heard someone calling out to them; "There you are, Hiccup! I did the research on the Frightmare you asked for!"

Fishlegs was hurrying over to them, several scrolls clutched in one hand.

"Well, this is convenient," Hiccup commented, as they made their over to where Fishlegs stood.

Once Fishlegs had caught his breath, he continued, "I've got the Frightmare's route right here!" As he spoke, Fishlegs unrolled one of the scrolls, revealing a map of Berk. "For generations, the Frightmare has gone through the Northern Swamp on its way to the village; same route, every time … if I could only figure out why we might be able to stop it!"

Pleased, Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a look. Then Hiccup turned back to Fishlegs, "Great work, Fishlegs! Why don't you see if you can figure that out? In the meantime, we'll see if we can find the Frightmare before it reaches town."

"On it!" Fishlegs hurried off in the direction he'd come from.

As he did, Hiccup and Astrid mounted Toothless, and the Night- Fury took- off.

 **Part Two – The Frightmare**

 _Sunset; the village of Berk_ ,

As the sky began to glow with the first traces of Arvendole's Fire, Gobber; who was keeping watch, began shouting: Arvendole's Fire is here! Get in your homes and stay inside!"

Immediately, the familiar wave of chaos descended on the villagers, just as the Frightmare itself would have.

 _Meanwhile; over the Northern- Swamps_ ,

"Ok, Lets just get one thing straight: We are going to _observe_ the Frightmare; See what we can learn about it, and Try to redirect it. If that doesn't work, we fall- back to town and get help: Ok?"

"Sure," Astrid answered immediately; from where she sat, behind Hiccup. This answer immediately sent up a red- flag in Hiccup's mind, and he rolled his eyes, "Say the words 'I understand, Hiccup.'"

Now it was Astrid's turn to roll her eyes, "Fine: 'I understand, Hiccup."

"Well that just instils me with confidence," Hiccup muttered, 'a little' sarcastically.

There wasn't time to discuss the matter, because; from beyond the crest of a hill just ahead of them, the glowing dragon rose into view.

A wave of blinding light made the three of them wince, and cover their eyes. Toothless dropped towards a small clearing, hovering perhaps ten feet above the ground.

"Well; it certainly lives up to the hype…" An instant later, he felt Astrid let go of his waist, and saw her drop to the ground. "Astrid; what are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Astrid called back. "Defending Berk, and my Family- Honour!" With that, she unslung her axe from where it hung, and turned in the direction of the Frightmare.

Once the glowing dragon had come within hearing distance, Astrid raised her voice, "Leave Berk now, and never come back! Here I am, ungodly beast; 'Fearless Astrid' Hofferson: Come and get me if you dare!"

As Toothless came around, Hiccup glanced back just in time to see the Frightmare breathe a cloud of mist at Astrid. Astrid swung her axe; then, as the mist settled around her, her axe dropped from her hands. She remained standing, but was otherwise motionless!

Hiccup shouted "ASTRID!" The Frightmare shot towards Astrid, but Toothless forced it to withdraw.

In the scant seconds they had before the Frightmare attacked again; Hiccup hurriedly pulled Astrid back onto Toothless's back. The black- dragon again took- off; and rose into the dark clouds, above. Once it saw that its target had escaped, the Frightmare took off.

After it had vanished from sight, Toothless settled back down, in the clearing; and Hiccup turned his attention back to Astrid. He shook her a few times; and, finally, she came out of her daze.

"What… What happened?" Astrid asked, once she'd fully recovered.

"The Frightmare: It… It sprayed you with some kind of mist; it paralyzed you."

Astrid's face paled, "It 'froze' me."

Hiccup hesitated, and nodded, "But the good news is that the effects are only temporary: Just long enough for the Frightmare to strike."

"I knew my uncle wasn't scared of that dragon: He was paralyzed by it." Astrid fell silent, for a moment. Then she asked, "So, what now? … Back to Berk?" She sounded… defeated: sure that she'd messed- up her chance to face the Frightmare.

"No," Hiccup told her, "We're following the Frightmare: We are the only thing standing between that dragon and Berk."

"Yes!" Her enthusiasm restored; Astrid pumped a fist into the air, as she spoke.

Hiccup returned his attention to the sky ahead, as Toothless shot forwards, after the Frightmare. They shot over the next ridge, and… "What in the name of Thor?"  
The River ahead of them was _glowing_ bright- blue.

Even as they watched, the Frightmare landed next to the river. From where they sat, appeared to be eating something…  
With all of his considerable stealth, Toothless landed next to the stream, and Hiccup and Astrid dismounted and approached the river on foot.

"It's glowing algae," Hiccup said, using a stick to lift some of the stuff out of the river. "The glow must be some sort of… reaction to Arvendole's Fire." He was silent for a moment, then, "This must be what the Frightmare is following; this is why it always takes the same route into Berk!"

Astrid thought about it for a moment, but "I'm… Not getting it."

Hiccup thought for a moment, "You ever try to get between Snotlout and a bowl of mutton?"

"Yeah: That's something you only do once." A sudden noise off to one side made them duck behind a nearby boulder. When they peered around it, the Frightmare had gone back to eating the glowing algae.

Suddenly Astrid understood, "I get it: The Frightmare thinks we want its food!"

Hiccup nodded, clearly pleased, and Astrid found herself trying not to blush. He continued, "Exactly: It attacks because it sees us as a threat to its very survival!"

Suddenly, the Frightmare turned in their direction, and roared. Spinning around, they saw Toothless; standing by the river, and eating some of the algae. A moment later, the black- dragon began to glow purple!

Hiccup and Astrid hurried to remount Toothless. As they did, Astrid said, "This is bad: We won't be able to hide in the clouds with Toothless glowing like this!

Toothless snorted, **'Hey; I just wanted to know what it tasted like!'** By now, they were in the sky, and gaining altitude; and the Frightmare was close behind them.

"What are we going to do?" Astrid asked, as Toothless carried them higher.

"Fishlegs!"

Hiccup's answer surprised her, "Fishlegs… How's he going to help?"

"By bringing you some reinforcements!" Fishlegs chimed in.

And, flying just behind Meatlug, was "Stormfly!" Astrid cried out in relief, as her Deadly- Nadder drew- up alongside Toothless, and Astrid jumped across into the empty saddle on her dragon's back.

The plan took a moment to take- form in Hiccup's mind, but finally he said, "Fishlegs, you and I need to create a new path for the river: If the flow of algae leads away from the village, we'll never have to worry about the Frightmare again!" Hiccup turned to the Deadly Nadder, and her rider; "Astrid: We'll need you and Stormfly to keep the Frightmare busy!"

Astrid shot Hiccup a confident grin, and nodded, "Leave it to us; come- on, Stormfly!"

It wasn't easy, but they got it done: Once the Frightmare noticed the new path of the river, it broke- away from Stormfly, and shot off in the new direction; without so much as a backwards glance.

 **Part Three – Aftermath**

When they returned to the village, they found Stoick and Gobber; who'd been keeping watch for the Frightmare.

When Hiccup told them that the Frightmare had been driven- away, he didn't ask for confirmation, or details. Instead he turned around and, shouting loudly enough for the villagers to hear, said, "EVERYONE: YOU CAN COME OUT OF YOUR HOMES! THE FRIGHTMARE IS GONE FOR GOOD!"

Gradually, doors began to open, and the people began to gather.

When the majority of the villagers had gathered before them, Hiccup spoke- up, "Excuse me: I have an announcement to make." Silence fell, and he continued, "We learned a lot about the Frightmare tonight, and – I'll explain it all to you, but the most important thing we learned, was that 'Fearless Finn' Hofferson…"

Out the corner of his eye, Hiccup saw Astrid's face fall; her eyes seemed to ask ' _Why… Why bring that up_?'

"Was, in fact, fearless: Just like all the Hoffersons." The crowd began murmuring among themselves; how they'd "never _really_ believed", 'Fearless Finn' had frozen in fear.

Glancing back, Hiccup saw silent- gratitude in Astrid's face; as she realized what Hiccup had just done: Since the 'Battle of the Red- Death', Hiccup's word had come to hold considerably more weight. Their triumphant return had _cleared_ Astrid's Family- Name, but Hiccup had _restored_ it: Ensuring that, from now on, the courage of ' _Fearless_ Finn' Hofferson would never again be in doubt.

Gobber came to stand next to Astrid, "Sounds like you did your uncle proud, lass."

"Yes; you did," Hiccup agreed, placing a hand on Astrid's shoulder as he spoke. As he did, a great weight seemed to lift from Astrid's shoulders, and she smiled.

"Now maybe we can just enjoy Arvendole's Fire," Stoick commented. As he spoke, Hiccup was sure he saw a gleam in his father's eye; when the latter glanced back, and saw him with a hand on Astrid's shoulder. He put it out of his mind, for now, though.

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	3. Chapter 3

**What Lurks Beneath**

 _Flashback; Two weeks earlier, (While the Night- Furies met to determine their terms.)_

 _Alvin The Treacherous was in a particularly foul mood: He had had_ twelve _men on dragons: Twelve! Believing the odds to be very much in their favour, they had pursued Hiccup, and his other friends.  
Then, out of nowhere, they'd been besieged by what must have been close to twenty Night- Furies ... _Twenty _Night- Furies! As though one hadn't been bad enough!_

 _Alvin had spent hours thinking: Plotting his next move. His men knew better than to interrupt him, so it wasn't long before he came to a decision._

 _He had his men fill several crates with Whispering- Death eggs, and load them onto the smallest of his boats._

 _That night, they would return to Berk: Just the one boat, with only ten men on board…_

 _That night,_

 _They had reached the cave on the far side of the island without being spotted, and spread the eggs out inside; so each could hatch, without damaging the others._

 _Once they'd finished, they returned to the boat, and set off on the return- trip to Outcast Island. As the island began to fade from view, a thought continued to nag at him: It had been easy… maybe_ too _easy.  
He pushed the thought away, and forced a chuckle: There was no way the people of Berk could have known!_

 _Two days later, in the same cave,_

Four Night- Furies were gathered in the cave; examining the crates that the Outcasts had left behind.

FIRST: **'… The Outcasts' Crest: This is Alvin's work.'**

SECOND: **{Snort} 'Of course it is: Even if only** **half** **of what the humans said of him is true, such a low- tactic would appeal to him.'**

THIRD: **'We should tell the humans; these eggs must be removed before they hatch.'**

FIRST: **'Yes… They should know about them; of that one in particular.** _ **'**_ As the dragon spoke, he nodded towards an unusually- large Whispering- Death egg.

FOURTH: **'That Alvin would dare to put a 'Screamer' here … it is unacceptable.'** __

SECOND: **'We should also keep watch on this cave: Alvin may return to check on the eggs.'**

The third Night- Fury opened his mouth in a grin, as he unsheathed his teeth; _**'**_ **If he does, he will wish he'd stayed well away!** _ **'**_

By noon the following day, the Whispering- Death eggs had been loaded into new crates, and flown back to the island that their species called home.

The larger egg, and the crates that the Outcasts had used, had been left untouched, for now. And the Night- Furies had set their trap.

The ease with which Alvin's latest plot had been detected and neutralized had both amazed and delighted the villagers… It felt good to be one step ahead of Alvin, for a change.

 _ **Present day,**_

The Berk Riders and their dragons were taking turns showing- off the various rescue- skills, which they'd been practicing with their respective dragons, over the course of the last four days.

Snotlout's task was pretty straight- forward: Retrieve the victim- dummy from the rowboat at the base of the cliff where the rest of them were gathered.  
At first, it seemed to go well: Hookfang dove from the cliff top, snatched up the dummy, and began to rise up into the air.

"I hate to admit it, but Snotlout actually looks like he's worked on his rescue training," Hiccup commented.  
Which was when things started to go wrong: Hookfang shot up, around, and down, into the ocean below.

"Lets… not get ahead of ourselves." Astrid said, from where she sat on Stormfly's back. She shot Hiccup a grin, which he returned, a little ruefully.

A moment later, Hookfang shot out of the ocean, and landed next to the other dragons. Snotlout held up the dummy, and said, "There: Another victim saved." The moment the words were out of his mouth, the dummy's' head fell off, and Snotlout let out a yelp.

Fishlegs snorted, "Well, you got the 'victim' part right."

Snotlout scowled, "Big deal: So his head fell- off; it's not like he's on fire!"

At the word 'fire', Hookfang's eyes brightened, and he shot a column of fire at the dummy, and then leapt forward to put out the flame with one of his clawed- feet.

When Hookfang and Snotlout turned to face the others, Snotlout was wide- eyed and silent. He and the other riders looked first at the _burned, shredded, and headless_ dummy, than at each other.

After a minute, Fishlegs looked like he was about to speak, when Snotlout interrupted with "Shut- up, Fishlegs."

Astrid was next to show her rescue skill. She started at the base of the cliff where the others were gathered. As she climbed, Stormfly would launch spikes from her tail into the cliff side – to form handholds. In that fashion, rider and dragon made their way to the top of the cliff...

The first thing she heard on reaching the top was Hiccup saying, "Great work, Astrid!"

The second thing was – of course, Snotlout. "'Great work'? Try 'lame work'… Hello? Flying- dragon? Might be a little faster to get to the top of the sea- stack!"

"What if your victim is trapped on the side of a cliff and your dragon can't get you close enough? … You ever think of that?" Astrid felt a little irritated, but managed not to show it.

Snotlout responded immediately, "Yes… No… Shut- up, Astrid."

Fishlegs and Meatlug were up next. Once the brown dragon had gained the necessary height, Fishlegs called down, "I call this the 'Stop, Drop…"  
With that, Meatlug plunged towards the ground, directly at Snotlout and Hookfang! The Monstrous Nightmare lunged out of the way, but Snotlout fell- off, landing on his back. He saw the Gronkle falling towards him, and shut his eyes; waiting for the inevitable.  
"… And Hover." Fishlegs finished, as Meatlug came to a stop, mere feet above Snotlout.

"I like it, Fishlegs," Hiccup commented, as Astrid nodded.

Naturally, Snotlout had to comment on this, "Oh, come on: That wasn't rescuing, that was falling!"

"Actually, _this_ is falling," Fishlegs corrected, and Meatlug dropped the remaining few feet: flattening Snotlout.  
Snotlout called to Hookfang, asking for help. Instead, Hookfang took flight; vanishing from view, a few minutes later.

When it was the twins' turn, they sat forward in their saddles and … did absolutely nothing. When asked, Tuffnut said that "Our rescue- skill is not falling off of the sea- stack: That way, no actual rescue is necessary!"  
Ruffnut said, "Ta- da!" She lung her arms out wide, knocked her brother out of his saddle, and… sent him falling off the sea- stack, and into the ocean below.  
Seeing what she'd done, she shrugged and added, "We're… still working- out the kinks."

Finally, it was Hiccup and Toothless's turn. Once they'd set- up their targets, and were in position, Hiccup said, "Barrel- roll… Multiple- blast!"  
Toothless launched himself into a sideways roll, launching three plasma- blasts as he went: All three hit their targets.  
Hiccup and Toothless re-joined the others. _Most_ of them were impressed by the manoeuvre; except, of course, for… "Stop 'oohing'; that's not even a rescue- skill!" Snotlout.

"Of course it is!" Fishlegs interjected, "You always need cover- fire in a rescue – Everyone knows that… Very impressive, Hiccup."

But Snotlout wasn't about to back- down, "Hey, Fishlegs; you need some help getting your nose out of Hiccup's…"

"SNOTLOUT!" Hiccup started, but Fishlegs spoke- up, "It's ok, Hiccup: He's just mad because he was dead- last in the rescue- competition … As usual."

"Uh, guys: This isn't a competition," Hiccup said.

"Uh, yes it is." Tuff countered.

"You know," Ruff began, gesturing with both hands as she spoke, "'they say competition is the very essence of life itself.'" This was followed a long moment of silence, as the others stared at Ruffnut in open disbelief.

Finally, Astrid said, "It's true … Weird that she said it like that, but it's true: It's always a competition."

"We are a team: Everyone has a role… No one person is better, or more important, than another." Hiccup said – and he meant it.  
This was followed by another pause, than the others burst out laughing.

Finally, Snotlout said, "You don't really buy that, do you?"

"I… do, actually," Hiccup replied; and Toothless nodded as well, though he didn't 'speak'.

Snotlout said, "You want to know what I think?" The response what a single unified 'No' from each of the other riders.

Undaunted, Snotlout said, "I think that we'll never know who the best dragon- trainer is because we don't have a level playing- field."

Fishlegs looked thoughtful, "Hang on a second… What if we did have a level playing field? What it we could prove, once and for all, who's got the skills and who doesn't?"

"Trust me, Fishlegs: You don't want that," Snotlout said, smirking.

"Oh, I think I do… And I know just the thing!"

They remounted their dragons; Snotlout had to catch a ride with the twins, and the dragons took flight: Bound for the Dragon Training Academy.

The others flew a little ways ahead; but Stormfly and Toothless hung- back, keeping pace with each other.

After a few minutes, Astrid asked, "You really mean what you said; about everyone having their own role, don't you?"

Before Hiccup could answer, Toothless 'said', **'It is the truth: As individuals, we each possess unique skill- sets that can be crucial to the survival of the group** _ **.'**_ Toothless paused for a moment, and then continued. _ **'**_ **Within my colony, for example, there are those like the five who witnessed our abduction; who can remain so still for so long, that – even if you looked directly at them for hours, they would appear as shadows. Others, however, are too full of energy to manage such a feat.'**

' **Flying in formation,'** Stormfly offered. **'Less fighting the winds: Tire more slowly.'**

Astrid thought about it for a moment, then grinned: "United we stand."

"Or 'fly'," Hiccup amended, grinning at her. "Now lets go: We're almost there."

 _An hour later; in the Dragon- Training Arena,_

Once the six riders and their dragons had landed in the training- arena, Fishlegs and Meatlug hurried away, Fishlegs tossing a 'Be right back' over one shoulder.

When he returned, Fishlegs was carrying a large wooden box that, when opened, was revealed to contain five Terrible- Terrors. Fishlegs wasted no time; "We each choose a Terrible Terror, and have a day to train it. And then we'll find out who's best."

There was some further discussion; as Fishlegs, Snotlout, each of the twins, and Astrid selected a Terrible- Terror.

Hiccup; it was decided, would judge the 'competition', instead of taking part in it. It was pretty clear that Hiccup's bond with dragons' _in- general_ wasn't something they'd be able to factor- out of these results.

During that discussion, it occurred to Astrid that this was 'probably' one of the reasons why Hiccup would always try to discourage dragon- training competitions: He knew his 'bond' with Toothless gave him an advantage... And then there was Hiccup's experience during the Thawfest Games: When _his_ rivalry with Snotlout rose to the surface.

It wasn't the idea of a 'competition' that bothered Hiccup,Astrid realized: It was the danger it could so easily pose to their functioning as a team, and the ease with which it could overtake even him.

After the others had chosen their Terrible Terror, they made to go their separate ways. Finally, the only ones left in the arena were Hiccup and Toothless, Astrid and Stormfly, and their respective Terrors.

"Remember: Not a competition!" Hiccup called after the others; before they could get out of earshot, though he doubted they were even listening.

As Astrid made her way towards where Hiccup and Toothless stood, Hiccup looked from her to Toothless and back, "This is really going to go bad in a hurry."

"Hiccup," Astrid said, as she reached them, "Try not to get too worried about this: Just… See what everyone comes up with, and pick the one you like most." She smiled, easily and, wanting to help, added, "I won't take it personally if you pick one of theirs."

Hiccup smiled, "If you keep to your usual standards, you'll have a good shot at winning in any case." He sighed, "I'm worried about Meatlug… She and Fishlegs are close, and the way Fishlegs and Snotlout are obsessing about winning; it can be so easy to lose perspective on things: Like I did during the Thawfest Games…" Hiccup's sentence drifted off.  
Then he smiled, "Speaking of The Games, I don't think I ever thanked you for snapping me out of my Thawfest- obsession."

Astrid felt her face redden, just a little, "It was nothing."

Hiccup shook his head, "No… It wasn't 'nothing': Years of not winning a single event and suddenly winning enough to make it to a tie- breaker? … I was acting like Snotlout would, and that's not who I want be – ever… So: Thanks."

Blushing, now, Astrid spoke without thinking: "Anytime." Hiccup laughed and, after realizing what she'd just said, Astrid had to join in.

A few minutes later, they parted ways: Astrid to train her dragon, Hiccup and Toothless to keep Meatlug company, while Fishlegs got ready for the competition. Meatlug, it goes without saying, was glad for the company.

 _That night; in an 'empty' tunnel underneath Berk,_

It had been two weeks since last they'd visited the cave, so Alvin was pleased to see that the crates they'd left had remained undisturbed.  
That feeling quickly turned to anger and disbelief when he saw that all but one of the eggs – the largest of them, was _gone_. Not hatched, or waiting to hatch; either of which would have been acceptable, but _gone_!

A moment later, one of his men said, "Alvin; that stalactite's watching me!"

Alvin wasn't in the mood for nonsense, "Stalactites don't have eyes you dimwitted…"

Suddenly Savage, who'd been looking around the tunnel, spoke up, "Wait a minute, Alvin; there _shouldn't be any_ stalagmites _or_ stalactites in this part of the tunnel… There weren't before!"

That was when the _ten Night- Furies_ opened their wings, and those who'd been hanging from the ceiling dropped to the floor.  
The cave filled with flashes of blue light as the Night- Furies first reduced the empty crates the Outcasts had left to kindling, before turning their attention to the Outcasts.

Unlike their last trip, Alvin had brought twenty- men, and a larger and better-armed boat; on the off- chance that they had to ' _protect their investment_ '.

They'd all lost their shields; which were useless – anyways, once the first plasma- bolt had punched through them, and most of them had lost their swords/ axes.

It was, Alvin was forced to admit, another failed mission: "FALL- BACK! FALL- BACK!"

Eight of their party had been unconscious, by this point; blasted into the cavern wall by the force of the Night- Furies' plasma- blasts. This, of course, slowed them.

By the time their group had retreated to the boat, the catapults were in ruin; the main- sail had four large slashes running from top to bottom, which meant they'd have to _row_ home.

Alvin would have cursed the Night- Furies with the blackest oaths he knew, but he was too angry to find the words.

 _The following afternoon; inside the Dragon- Training Arena,_

It was time for to see the results of their days' training… Astrid started things off. She walked into the center of the arena, turned to face the others, lifting her arms to shoulder height as she did, and said, "So… What do you think?"

"What do we think of what?" Snotlout asked.

"My dragon's stealth- skills," Astrid replied.

Snotlout snorted, "Right… His skill's so stupid he didn't even show up."

Astrid smirked, "Or did he?"

Snotlout was about to say something else, when a warbling sound made him look up:

Astrid's Terrible Terror was sitting on top of his helmet. A moment later; he'd leapt onto Ruffnut's helmet, and Ruffnut only noticed when her brother turned to her, looked up; and said, "Wow; she is good!"

Ruff and Tuff's dragons did exactly what you might expect… sort- of.

"They'll run into each other and butt heads?" Astrid guessed – before the twins finished getting their dragons into position. A moment later, the twins' two Terrors _flew_ into each other and butted heads. Which, as far as the twins were concerned, was "totally different."

Next was Fishlegs and, Hiccup had to admit, he'd done pretty well: Fishlegs had assembled a collection of items: an apple, a sword, a bucket, and so on. He'd also drawn each of the items he'd assembled onto a sheet of parchment.

Selecting a card from the stack, he showed his Terror the sketch of the apple, and said, "Iggy: Bring me this." The Terrible Terror flew over to the line of items, snatched up the apple without a moment's hesitation, and deposited it in Fishlegs' hand.

When Snotlout scoffed, Fishlegs said he could pick a card himself, if he wanted. Snotlout did, and the result was… Similar: Only the bucket, depicted on the card Snotlout had chosen, ended- up upside-down, on Snotlout's head.

When Snotlout still appeared unimpressed, Fishlegs said, "Oh, and what does _your_ Terrible Terror do?"

"This," Snotlout said, opening a wooded box, as he spoke. Immediately, the dragon shot out, and latched onto Snotlout's left- leg. (Which was, if nothing else, a change from the previous day… When the dragon had latched onto Snotlout's left arm.)  
Trying not to laugh, Fishlegs said, "Let me get this straight: you trained your Terror to _bite you_."

Wincing as he spoke, Snotlout said, "Try to pry him lose, I dare you: It took Gobber all day yesterday to get him off this leg." As he spoke, he gestured to a bandage on his other leg, which he was currently hopping around on.  
Then the five of them turned, expectantly, to Hiccup.

Hiccup started with the twins, "Ruff and Tuff… Last I checked, butting heads doesn't 'really' qualify as useful, so… Fourth place; since the two of you worked together."

Then he moved on to Snotlout, "Snotlout: Your dragon did almost exactly the same thing as it did yesterday, which… doesn't really show much, or _any_ , sign of training. So… Third- place." Snotlout scowled, but he couldn't pretend to _not_ see Hiccup's reasoning.

Next Hiccup turned to Fishlegs, "Fishlegs: I've got to say, I'm impressed. Original, useful: There's definitely potential there… Second place." Fishlegs seemed reasonably content with that (– especially since he'd won a little… 'Side- bet' he'd made with Snotlout).

Finally, Hiccup turned to Astrid, who was beaming. "Astrid; that was _impressive_. In a single day, you were able to: connect with the Terrible- Terror you'd just met, and teach her the skill you'd selected… Without even having to use verbal commands: First place; nice work!"

Nobody argued with him; there were no accusations of bias: The reasons Hiccup had given were clear, and fair. (Snotlout grumbled of course, though it was mostly 'Stupid Fishlegs', 'Stupid Terrible- Terror', and – most of all, 'Stupid bet!')

Soon afterwards, they made their way to the Great Hall – only just now realizing the time, and how hungry they were.

 _On returning to the village_ ,

Even before the dragons' claws touched the ground, they could tell that something was wrong. There was a crowd of people, and several Night- Furies, gathered in the center of the village; their attention focused on something that Hiccup and the others couldn't see…

When they had drawn nearer, people moved aside for them, and they saw it…  
The crate that had been found to transport the Screaming- Death egg off of Berk sat in front of them. But, instead of an intact egg, it held only shell- fragments.

Before any of the new- arrivals could speak, one of the Night- Furies, a female, 'said', _**'The 'Screamer' hatched just as we were returning to the cave, so we had little trouble … 'convincing' it to leave.'**_ She paused for a moment, than continued. **'But, that doesn't mean it will stay away: He may seek to claim this island and his territory.'**

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Screaming Death**

 _Two weeks later,_

Hiccup and Astrid were sitting on the backs of their respective dragons; which, in turn, were hovering several hundred feet above Sorrow Island.

Hiccup checked his map, then turned back to Astrid, "Ok… These Nadders get tagged yellow: That's how we'll know they belong on Sorrow Island." As he spoke, he 'tagged' the two dragons nearest to him and Toothless.

"Like this?" Astrid asked, lobbing two 'packs' of yellow paint at the two wild- dragons nearest to her and Stormfly. Both of which hit their marks.  
She 'tagged' two more dragons, than turned back to Hiccup – grinning, "Feel free to join- in, anytime!" She aimed at another wild- dragon, but missed, and the wild- dragon took- off.

Toothless launched himself back into the air, and shot after the fleeing dragon. As they streaked past Astrid and Stormfly, Hiccup called, "How about now?"  
The fleeing Nadder wove around a collection of sea- stacks; but, in the end, there was no way for it to evade Toothless.  
At one point, the wild- dragon glanced back to see open- sky. Appearing pleased with itself, it turned its attention back to sky ahead… Just in time to see Hiccup loading his paint- pack into his shields' built- in catapult: A second later, it too had been 'tagged'.

In the meantime, Astrid and Stormfly had caught up. Grinning, again, Astrid called over, "Ok, I have to admit: The shield is pretty cool."

"Why thank- you: I quite like it, too." As Hiccup spoke, he smiled at Astrid, and made a seated- bow in her direction.

Working together, it took only a few more minutes for them to 'tag' the remaining wild- dragons that had made their home Sorrow Island.  
Once they had, Hiccup said, "We should go check on the twins: They're supposed to be marking the Crescent Island dragons."

"I'm sure _that's_ going _really well_ ," Astrid commented. She sounded … disappointed. Hiccup noticed, and shot her a questioning look.  
Astrid elaborated, "Every time we split- up, I get stuck with either Snotlout or the twins… _We_ almost- never go on missions ourselves."

Hiccup grimaced, "Sorry about that… Thing is, you're the only one I can _fully_ \- rely on in those situations: Fishlegs is smart, but he doesn't work well under pressure; and I don't even want to _think_ about what would happen if I put Snotlout or the twins in-charge."

Astrid felt her spirits rise: She thought it would be something like this, but it was good to hear Hiccup say it. Together, they turned their dragons in the direction on Crescent Island.

 _A short time later; on Crescent Island_ ,

The scene was … pretty much what Hiccup had expected, when he, Astrid, and their dragons finally found the twins: Paint on themselves, and on pretty much everything else _except_ the dragons of Crescent Island.

After having to dodge two paint- packs himself, Hiccup turned to Ruff and Tuff, "Guys: You're supposed to be tagging _the dragons_ … Not _each other_." Hiccup thought for a moment, then added, "Though I suppose I should've expected this."

Astrid would've laughed, but then she noticed something, "Hiccup; isn't it supposed to be just one dragon- color per island?"

Hiccup nodded, " Yeah… Why?"

Astrid pointed to the dragons she'd just spotted, "I see _two_ colors down there." Hiccup turned in the direction she was pointing. "Could we have been using the wrong one?"

Hiccup frowned, "I don't think so… I'd better ask Fishlegs."

Astrid raised an eyebrow, "You're going to fly all the way back to Berk?"

"Nope: Don't have to," Hiccup replied, pulling a sheet of parchment, a quill, and scribbling a note as he spoke. "Fishlegs and I have been working on something new." He reached down, and picked up the Terrible Terror that he'd brought with them when they left Berk. He slid the scroll into a case that had been tied to the small dragon's leg, "We call it: 'Air- Mail'."

"Do you _really_ think that Terrible Terror is going to fly all the way back to Berk?" Astrid asked, incredulously.

Hiccup nodded, "Yep: And right to the Academy: Terrors' are especially territorial, so it's a natural instinct for them to return home from wherever they happen to be."

"And how will we know if he made it?" Astrid asked, as she and Hiccup walked over to where their dragons waited. From her expression, Hiccup could tell that she still didn't quite believe that this would work.

"When Fishlegs and Snotlout meet us on Dragon Island," Hiccup replied, as he settled into Toothless's saddle.

Astrid raised an eyebrow, "If that happens, I'll kiss Snotlout on the lips."

Hiccup turned to her, "Uh, Astrid; I trained that Terrible Terror _myself_ , so…"

Astrid's eyes widened, "Ok, strike that: 'I'll believe it when I see it'."

 _Later; Dragon Island_ ,

Sure enough, Fishlegs and Snotlout were waiting for them. Fishlegs came forward to meet them, "Hiccup, I got your message: I knew 'air- mail' would work! So what's the emergency?"

"We've seen dragons painted green on Crescent Island." Hiccup explained.

"That's your emergency?" Snotlout snorted. "I was in the middle of something very important."

Fishlegs rolled his eyes, "You were sound asleep." Turning back to Hiccup, he continued, "No… They shouldn't be: The green dragons belong on Tall- Tree Island; that's where I tagged them."

"We need to figure this out," Hiccup decided. "Lets check out Tall- Tree Island."

"Great: I was wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my day!" He jumped into Hookfang's saddle, and the dragon took off. "See you back on Berk, suckers!" A moment later, Hookfang and Snotlout vanished from view.

 _Almost two hours later_ ,

"I don't understand: We should be there by now." Hiccup commented.

"Maybe we're off- course?" Astrid suggested.

Fishlegs looked offended, "I don't ' _do_ ' off- course, Astrid."

"Even if we were off- course, we should still be able to see the island from here," Hiccup commented.

"Well; an island can't just disappear…" Astrid said.

"Earthquake, maybe…" Fishlegs suggested. "Volcano, Wrath of Thor, Wrath of Odin?"

The other two looked at him for a long moment. "What? I'm just throwing out possible explanations!"

"None of that explains this!" said Astrid, pointing ahead of them, at the three wild- dragons that were heading in the opposite direction. "Orange!" Astrid called, when she saw the blotch of paint that marked the dragons' backs.

"Burnt apricot, actually," Fishlegs corrected. Astrid rolled her eyes, at this, but didn't respond.

Hiccup checked his map, "According to this, they're from Sunstone Island… So that's where we need to go."

 _Some time later,_

"Huh," said Fishlegs. "I thought it was bigger."

Meatlug sat at the top of a small lump of land, while Toothless and Stormfly gripped the cliff top with their forelegs, while the rest of their bodies hung over the edge.  
A single tree stood next to Meatlug.

"You think?" Astrid asked, sounding more than a little sarcastic.

"I have to say, the beaches are a bit of a disappointment," Hiccup commented.

Fishlegs looked thoughtful, "Huh; One Island is missing, and another one's been sunk…"

"I guess an entire island _can_ disappear," Astrid commented – amending her earlier comment.

' _ **Something is very wrong**_ **…'** Toothless commented. Turning to Hiccup, he added, **'** _ **You feel it too, don't you**_ **?'**

Hiccup nodded, "We need to get back to Dragon Island – Now."

 _Forty- five minutes later; Dragon Island_ ,

Dragon Island was where it was supposed to be, but that was the only good news: In the time that they'd been gone, dragons from three more islands had arrived…

Fishlegs listed off the colors: "Pistachio, Burnt- apricot, Vermillion…"

Astrid was watching Hiccup, who was examining his map. Finally, he said, "This is bad." He set the map down on a flat- topped boulder, and drew a line connecting each of the 'missing' islands... "If this continues, more islands will be in danger: Boar- Head Island, Thor Rock Island." He turned around, "Toothless: We're going back out."

"I'm coming with you," Astrid said, following Hiccup to where the dragons waited.

Hiccup nodded once, and turned back, "Fishlegs, you stay here in case any more dragons show up." Fishlegs nodded, appearing relieved.

 _Over the course of the next few hours_ ;

"Boar- Head Island should be down there," Hiccup said grimly. "It's gone too."

"So what do we do now?"

Hiccup's worried expression turned into determination, "We keep going."

Finally, Astrid said, "Wow: Look at what's left of Thor Rock… You know, maybe Fishlegs's Wrath of Gods theory isn't so crazy."

Hiccup looked thoughtful, "Lets take a closer look." They descended towards the island below, though they decided not to land. Immediately, something below them caught Hiccup's attention; "This markings look familiar, but… different, somehow."

Toothless growled. **'You recognize them because I do, Hiccup; they look like Whispering- Death holes, but they're larger than they should be... This is the work of the Screaming- Death!'**

An instant later, another section of the island collapsed into the sea… A moment later, a massive bone- white dragon rose into view: The Screaming- Death, and it was far too large to have fit inside the egg they'd seen on Berk.

Hiccup's eyes widened, "Oh boy: Someone's been eating their vegetables."

"And everything else in sight!" Astrid agreed, her eyes a little wide.

The dragon before them let out a piercing scream, that seemed to disorient their own dragons. Before they could recover, it dove back into the ground.

"The Screaming- Death has been destroying all of the islands," Hiccup realized. "It must be tunnelling underneath, and causing them to collapse in on themselves."

"But why would it do that?"

"I don't know," Hiccup admitted. "Lets get back to Dragon Island: Now that we know what we're up against, we need to figure out a way to stop it."

Astrid agreed, appearing a little relieved, and they turned back in the direction from which they'd come.

 _Back on Dragon Island,_

By the time they returned, Fishlegs was frantic, "Periwinkle blue! There're now periwinkle- blue marked dragons here!"

"I know," Hiccup said, as he got off of Toothless's back. "Boar- Head Island."

"And eggshell- white," Fishlegs continued.

"From Thor Rock Island," Astrid confirmed, as she joined them.

"What happened to them?" Fishlegs asked.

"The same thing that happened to all of the other islands," As he spoke, Hiccup drew an 'X' over each of the destroyed islands depicted on the map. "The Screaming- Death."

Fishlegs's face went white, "The Screaming- Death is back?"

"I don't think it ever really left," Hiccup admitted.

"Yeah," Astrid chimed in. "It just got bigger and nastier."

In a voice that made it sound like he _really didn't want_ the answer, Fishlegs asked, "How much bigger?"

Astrid picked up a handful of loose rock, and; sprinkling it as she spoke, said, "'Chomp, chomp, there goes your island'- big." Fishlegs gulped.

"It's just as I thought," said Hiccup, standing over the map. He picked up his pencil; "The Screaming- Death is following an imaginary- line, destroying anything in its path…" As he spoke, he continued to draw the line.

"It's coming right at us!" Fishlegs breathed.

"That's not even the worst part," Hiccup continued to draw the line.

"It's headed straight to… Berk." Astrid's eyes widened as she realized what Hiccup was saying.

"We… We have to get back to Berk and… and warn Stoick!" Fishlegs exclaimed, barely keeping his panic under control."

"No," Hiccup's voice was firm. "We head it off: We make our stand here… There's no other land between here and Berk. Besides, if the Screaming- Death destroys Dragon- Island; all of these dragons will overwhelm Berk, and the Screaming Death won't be far behind."

"Look… I'm all about danger, but did you see the size of that thing?" Astrid asked. Even as she spoke, though, she knew that Hiccup was right: They had no choice.

"It's not going to be just us," Hiccup reassured her. Then he turned to Toothless, "The wild- dragons _will_ help; if I ask them to, right?"

Toothless hesitated for a moment, then 'said', **'Yes** _ **.**_ **'**

Before Hiccup could speak, Astrid was beside him, "What are you planning?"

Hiccup took a deep breath, and said, "I'm going to use the Dragon- Trance." When Astrid looked as though she was about to object, Hiccup added, "Just long enough to call the wild- dragons: Not even the Screaming Death would stand a chance against all of the dragons we've got here."

Astrid looked taken- aback, "Are you sure you can do that?"

It was Toothless who answered, **'If he is in need, the majority of dragon- kind will heed his call: We know who he is, and what he is meant to be – even though the time is not yet right for your kind to know** _ **.'**_ Astrid still looked a little uneasy, but she nodded.

Since the first time Hiccup had entered the Dragon Trance, his instincts had grown sharper than he'd believed possible. Now, guided by these instincts, he tapped into the bond: He didn't know exactly what he was doing; nor, he knew, would he remember it afterwards.

Perhaps a minute after Hiccup had closed his eyes, they snapped open: only now, they glowed yellow: the eyes of a Night- Fury. Astrid and Fishlegs knew what to expect, more or less, having been present the first time that Hiccup entered the Dragon trance… Despite that, it was a surprise to see those yellow eyes gleaming in an otherwise familiar face.

Hiccup turned his back on the ocean, and let out a series of growls and roars: Dragon calls. Once several dozen of each of the main species had gathered, Hiccup fell silent. His eyes changed back to their normal color, and he started to fall forward, but Astrid caught his arm, and helped him remain upright until he regained his footing.

A moment later, Hiccup had recovered. He grinned at Astrid, and nodded a 'thank- you'. Before he could speak, a distant roar sounded.  
The Screaming- Death appeared in the distance, drawing closer, with every passing second.

"Lets go," Hiccup said, already mounting Toothless. "If it gets underground, it'll be that much harder to stop him!"

The wild- dragons rose as they did. And, as soon as they were within range, they attacked the Screaming Death.  
It wasn't a long fight: As Hiccup had said, the Screaming Death was simply no match for them. Every time it tried to unleash it's disorienting- scream, several dragons would zip in – each one biting at a spike- free section of tail, and the scream would turn into a growl of pain an annoyance.  
The sheer number of targets prevented the Screaming Death from focusing on any one for more than a few seconds at a time. This, in turn, made its attacks all the easier to evade…  
Finally, their mutual enemy let out a final outraged growl, and spiralled away.

Clearly relieved, Hiccup turned to the others, "Lets get back to Berk."

"Yeah," Astrid agreed, "Before something _else_ happens."

 _Late afternoon, near the Dragon- Training Academy,_

"I just hope we never see the Screaming Death again: It's giving Meatlug gas, and I don't have to tell you what that's like."

Astrid rolled her eyes, and went to join Hiccup; where he stood, watching the ocean, "Hey, did you find anything else about the Screaming- Death?"

Hiccup glanced up at her, "Well, the good news is that they only hatch one every hundred years or so."

"That's the 'good news'?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup nodded, "The bad news is that it's still out there, and… someday, it'll come back to Berk."

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Pride of The Berserkers**

 **Part One – A Rescue, and A Discovery**

 _Almost two weeks later,_

Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, and their dragons had left Berk around midmorning: to search for Mulch and Bucket, who'd gone fishing, but had yet to return.

"We're getting pretty far north," Astrid commented, shivering a little as she spoke.

"Bucket and Mulch are two days overdue," Hiccup replied. "We need to keep looking."

"You don't think they're up here, do you?" Astrid asked, still shivering. She'd been striving to ignore the cold for over an hour; but it was getting harder, the longer they flew.

"You can't take the cold; huh, Astrid?" Snotlout interjected.

Turning back to glare at Snotlout, Astrid replied, "No, I just don't have a _heated- seat;_ like you do." For what must have been the thousandth time, Astrid wished it had been just her and Hiccup – though she understood Hiccup's reasoning for asking Snotlout along: If _they_ got stuck up here, Hookfang's fire could make the difference between life and death…

She _understood_ it, but she didn't like it.

Snotlout smirked, "That's right: You don't." He snapped his fingers, and Hookfang opened his mouth: An orange glow spread down the Monstrous Nightmare's underside, and Snotlout sighed, "Ah: Toasty!"

Astrid rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to examining what lay ahead of them.

A moment later, Hiccup spotted the boat, "It looks like they're in trouble… Come on, bud." Immediately, Toothless shot forwards.

Astrid, glad to have an excuse to put some distance between herself and Snotlout, shot after them, leaving Snotlout and Hookfang to follow as best they could.

 _Meanwhile_ ,

"Berserkers: Commandeer this vessel for Dagur the Deranged!" The speaker was Captain Vorg. Even as he spoke, his men secured a boarding- ramp across to Mulch and Bucket's fishing boat, and were running across.

Before the first man onto the fishing- boat could draw his sword, Mulch had begun slapping the man across the face – repeatedly, with an eel they'd caught in their nets.

Another two men ran at Bucket, swords drawn. A moment later, Bucket had lifted them into the air, and tossed them over the opposite side of their boat. A third man swung a mace at Bucket's head, but it clanged off of the metal- bucket on Bucket's head.

Bucket turned and glared at the third Berserker- warrior, who promptly hid his mace behind his back; and leapt overboard, after his comrades.

Bucket then walked over to the man that Mulch had forced to the deck, and sat on him until he'd stopped struggling. As you might expect, it didn't take long.

A sudden sound made them both turn in the direction of the Berserkers' boat, where the remaining Berserkers had levelled crossbows at them.

" Surrender or…" Captain Vorg's order was left unfinished, as he and his men were forced to dodge the wave of spikes that Stormfly launched.

"Nice shooting, Astrid!" Hiccup called, before turning to Hookfang and his rider. "Snotlout: Light them up!"

Neither Hookfang nor Snotlout needed to be told twice: An instant later, the Berserkers' boarding- ramp had been engulfed in flames.

Then Toothless launched a plasma- bolt that struck the surface of the ocean, and the force of which pushed the two vessels apart. Captain Vorg decided to cut his losses, "Retreat! Retreat!" As his men rushed to carry out his orders, the distance between the two boats continued to widen. Before long, the second boat vanished from view.

 _A few minutes later_ ,

The five Vikings and three dragons gathered on the small glacier; where the Berserkers had, apparently, been working.

"What happened here?" Hiccup asked, the moment they were all there.

Mulch answered, "They attacked us, because we saw… 'It'."

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a look, and; speaking in unison, asked, "'It'?"

Gesturing for them to follow, Mulch and Bucket lead them towards the section of ice that was being excavated. When they arrived, Mulch pointed at something that was encased in the ice, "It."

The three riders approached the excavation- site. Hiccup spoke first, "That looks like… A dragon!" As he spoke, he bent to wipe away a layer of condensation; so he could get a better look at the creature's head.

"But… Why would Berserkers be trying to dig it out?" Astrid asked.

"I think I know," Hiccup said. "And it's not good… Look, I'll tell you later: We need to get this back to Berk, or the Berserkers will be back for it."

"Oh, great: So now we need to dig it out?" Snotlout asked, disbelief evident in his tone.

"No," Hiccup replied, "I've got a better idea…"

It took some time, but they were able to extricate the block of ice containing the dragon from the larger wall of ice.

Ropes were fastened around the ice- block, and the dragons took to the air, supporting the weight of the block between them.

Below them, Mulch and Bucket hoisted their sails, and prepared for the return trip to Berk.

 **Part Two – The Skrill**

 _Midafternoon; back on Berk_ ,

The moment they'd docked their boat, Mulch and Bucket went directly to the Great Hall – to inform Stoick of their encounter, and decide what was to be done about it.  
Meanwhile, Hiccup, and the others brought the ice- block to the Dragon Training Academy.  
Once it was secure, and because he didn't want to leave Ruff and Tuff alone with the ice- block, he insisted that they all go to the Great Hall, promising that he would answer their questions there.

They found Stoick sitting at a table near the head of the hall. With him sat Mulch, Bucket, Gobber, and a number of other villagers; and more were standing nearby. They arrived in time to hear Mulch say, "This is an act of war!"

Before the noise level could escalate, Stoick said, "All right: Calm down… Lets not jump to conclusions about what this attack means."

Gobber spoke- up then, "I don't know, Stoick… It seems pretty cut- and- dry to me: I mean when you think about it, an attack is an attack; am I right!"

Others began voice their agreement, and Stoick sighed in exasperation.

Hiccup stepped forward, "I think I know why Dagur's men attacked Bucket and Mulch."

The group fell silent, and Stoick said, "Go on, son."

Hiccup took another step forward, and said, "The dragon that Bucket and Mulch found in the ice…"

"We found a dragon?" Bucket asked – excited, "Oh, can we keep it? I've always wanted a dragon!"

"I… don't think you'll want this one; see… It's a Skrill," Hiccup added.

"Are you sure about this, son?" Stoick asked, breaking the silence that had greeted Hiccup's latest revelation.

Hiccup nodded, "Positive... That's why I insisted we kept it in the ice- block: If we left it where it was, the Berserkers would've gotten it, and that would be bad news for all of us."

"We need to get rid of it," Stoick announced. "It's just the excuse Dagur needs to go to war."

Stoick got to his feet, gestured for Hiccup, the other dragon- riders, and Gobber to come with him, and made to leave the hall.

 _A few minutes later,_

They continued their conversation as they made their way to the Dragon Arena. "Now, I like a good fight as much as anyone, but why not just give it to them?" Gobber asked, "It's just a frozen dragon- carcass, after all!"

Fishlegs spoke- up; and he sounded nervous, "Actually… Because of their internal body temperature, a Skrill can remain safely frozen for decades at a time…" Nobody seemed happy to hear this piece of news.

The block of ice containing the Skrill remained where they'd left it: In the center of the training- arena. Hiccup, Astrid, Stoick and Gobber were gathered on one side of the ice- block; discussing how to go about relocating the frozen- Skrill.

Meanwhile, Ruff and Tuff had started fighting again. Unfortunately, the two heads of their Zippleback decided to join in. A moment later, there was a rush of flames, and a stray- blast of fire from the Zippleback bathed the nearest side of the Skrill's icy prison.

The ice instantly turned into mist as it melted, and the Skrill was free.

Toothless, Hookfang, and Meatlug tried to force the Skrill back against the wall; for a moment, it looked like they were going to keep it contained.

Then the Skrill darted around them, and made for the entrance. Stormfly tried to block its path, but the Skrill rammed into her; sending the blue dragon flying, and shot out of the arena, and into the sky.

Hiccup and Astrid hurried over to Stormfly, as the Deadly- Nadder was getting to her feet, **'I couldn't stop him… Sorry,'** the dragon said, as they reached her.

Before Astrid could speak, Hiccup said, "Don't worry about it: You did what you could."

"Are you ok?" Astrid asked, giving Stormfly a quick hug. Stormfly nodded, and might have said something, but a sudden groan caught their attention.

"What is it, dad?" Hiccup asked, turning to Stoick.

Stoick sighed, "When I was a lad, my father's father used to sit me on his knee, and tell me stories; I thought they were just tales…"

Not sure if he wanted to know the answer, Hiccup asked, "Tales about what?"

"Berserker fleets attacking behind harnessed dragons that brought down lightening from the sky, and destroyed everything in their path."

Hiccup eyes widened, "You… _don't_ think the Berserkers could actually _control_ a Skrill?"

"I didn't think anyone could _ride_ a Night- Fury… We just can't take that chance!" Stoick gazed upwards, "If the Berserkers find that Skrill, and know some way to control it…"

"We'll find it, dad: I promise."

As Hiccup spoke, Toothless came over to stand next to him, **'Yes we will.'** With that, the Night- Fury raised his head, and let- out three consecutive Night- Fury calls.  
A moment later, his calls were answered.

Hiccup leapt into Toothless's saddle, and the black- dragon took- off… After several seconds, the others got over their shock, and mounted their dragons; who also rose into the sky, to join them.

The Skrill wasn't as hard to find as they'd originally thought, since two of Toothless's cousins found it first. Only a few seconds after the others had caught- up with Hiccup and Toothless, there were two simultaneous blue- flashes off to the east; followed by the same angry roar they'd heard in the arena below.

They turned towards the sound; and, a few minutes later, they saw the Skrill: The rogue- dragon was circling, perhaps a hundred feet ahead, and fifty feet below them.

When they saw Hiccup and Toothless, they and the Night- Furies drew- back slightly: allowing them to pull- up alongside of the Skrill.

"Hey, there fella," Hiccup said, as he and the Skrill first made eye- contact. Cautiously, he tried to reach across, trying to place his right- hand on the Skrill's forehead, and form a connection with the dragon. "You've been asleep a long time!"  
Apparently the Skrill wasn't in the mood for small- talk: Bolts of lightning crackled to life; across the Skrill's scales, and Hiccup pulled- back his hand, to avoid getting shocked.

Then the Skrill shot in front of them, and bolts of energy shot from the clouds; coursing through the Skrill's wings, as the dragon prepared to attack.

Hiccup heard Astrid call his name, and he turned in his saddle to see his friends coming towards them. An instant later, Toothless dropped, to avoid the Skrill's lightening- blast.

Astrid and the others also managed to dodge the energy- bolts; though there were several close- calls. The closest call was Snotlout, who'd taken a lightening- bolt to the head, when the Skrill snuck- up behind him.

The five dragons and their riders fell back to the top of a nearest of a cluster of sea- stacks, to regroup. When Hiccup saw the steam rising from Snotlout's helmet, he asked, "Hey, Snotlout; Are you ok?"

Tuff chuckled, "He's better than 'ok'… Didn't you see that lightening- bolt to the head?"

As he spoke, Snotlout turned to Hiccup and said, "Blah–ger–snag!"

Astrid grinned – and, obviously trying not to laugh, said, "Tuffnut's right: Better than ok!"

Snotlout let out an indignant, "Og–goggle!"

"And making more sense than usual!" Astrid added, managing to keep a straight face.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Ok: He's out of it…" – "Shmeg–eg–ey!" Snotlout cut in. Hiccup sighed, "Snotlout: We've got no idea what you're saying!"

Tuff spoke- up, "Sure we do: he said 'I'm perfectly fine'." Hiccup raised an eyebrow at him, and Tuff said, "What? … I speak 'post- lightning Snotlout!'"

Hiccup brought a hand to his forehead, "How many times has this kid been hit by lightening?"

"Often enough," Tuff said. Snotlout mumbled something, and Tuff translated, "Twelve? Twelve times."

At this, Snotlout added, "Pluzzel, shriggmal, fraggle!" Which, according to Tuff, meant "'enough talk: Dagur's all mine!'"

Hiccup and Astrid exchanged a look, and Hiccup said, "Ok: We're… going to have to talk about this later." Knowing that break- time was over, the others got ready to re-join the fight.

As their dragons carried them up into the sky, Astrid turned to Hiccup, "How exactly are we supposed to fight that thing?"

"I'll figure something out," Hiccup said, in a low voice.

Astrid guided Stormfly closer, and, with evident emotion in her voice, she said; " _Please_ be careful, Hiccup: You've had too many close- calls already…" She was silent for a moment, then added, "I… I can't lose you."

As she spoke, Hiccup noticed that Astrid's eyes were unusually bright. The change she saw in his expression seemed to satisfy Astrid, and she guided Stormfly back to their previous flight- path.

Above them, Hiccup could see several Night- Furies moving- in, to prevent the Skrill from fleeing. At the same time, other Night- Furies were descending to join them, so they could discuss strategy.

Then it occurred to Hiccup that the other Night- Furies would, through Toothless, have learned the hand- signals that they'd taught to their own dragons.

Astrid saw the smile on his face, and watched as Hiccup signalled to the Night- Furies. First he pointed to the Skrill, and then he sent the rest of his message: ' _Drive the Skrill towards the ocean_.' Each of the Night- Furies nodded, exaggerating the motion to ensure that Hiccup caught it, and then they spiralled upwards to re-join the fight.

As he delivered the message, he saw some of Astrid's tension drain away.

A few minutes later, the Skrill shot passed them; appearing pleased with itself, and Hiccup knew why: The Night- Furies had 'accidently' let it 'slip- out' of the bottom of the air- net.

They were following its progress closely, however: Whenever the Skrill tried to level- off and fly in another direction, the Night- Furies 'reformed' their net around it. They'd hold it there for a time, than repeat their 'mistake'; and the Skrill would again 'break free'.

By the time the Skrill caught- on to what they were doing, they were less than a hundred feet above the ocean. Between the four- dozen Night- Furies that had joined the fight, and the five dragons with riders, there was no way for it to win free.

Now that they saw it again, out of the clouds, the riders saw just how bad of shape the Skrill was in: It was clearly exhausted, despite its easy access to lightening, and it had taken a beating from its continuous clashes with the Night- Furies.

Now that the Skrill knew that it couldn't escape by air, it did the one thing that none of them had expected it to do: It dove into the ocean, and vanished from sight.

Sure that the dragon would leap back into the air at any moment – to make a determined bid for the open- sky, they spread out as far as they could without overextending themselves.

Finally, and for no apparent reason, one of the Night- Furies swung towards the riders and their dragons... Once it was close enough, it 'said', **'** _ **A dragon of that size couldn't stay underwater this long without coming up for air: It has either drowned, or it swam until it found shelter, or a chance to return to the sky… Either way, it is gone.'**_

A little reluctantly, the riders accepted this, and they and the Night- Furies returned to Berk. Or rather, most of them did: Not long after the others had returned to Berk, Ruff and Tuff dropped out of the clouds on their Zippleback.

"Hey; where'd everybody go?" Tuff asked, looking around as he spoke.

Ruff also looked around, and she spotted the boat below. "Hey, Tuffnut; look at this!"

A boat that had, until that moment, remained hidden behind a sea- stack, came into view. At first, the Twins thought it was a Berserker ship, but than an all- too- familiar figure appeared on- deck.  
Tuff's eyes widened, "That's not a Berserker! That's Alvin the Treacherous!"  
Ruff frowned, "What would Alvin want with a Skrill?"

As sheer- luck would have it: their dragon had landed, unnoticed, on the top of the very sea- stack that the Outcasts had been using for cover.

A moment later, after the Skrill's limp body had been pulled aboard and secured, Alvin himself answered Ruff's question. "Perfect," Alvin gloated. "Now that we've got Dagur's precious Skrill, we can discuss our 'alliance'. With the support of his fleet, Berk will be ours!"

His men cheered, but Savage voiced a question, "You're not really planning to give them the Skrill, are you?"

Alvin snorted, "Of course not: Once we know how to control the Skrill, and taken Berk, we'll finish off Dagur and the Berserkers once and for all!"

They waited until Alvin's boat had moved off a ways, and then the Twins exchanged a look.  
"We should do something…" Ruff commented.  
"Yes," Tuff agreed, "Yes we should..."  
"Follow them?" Ruff suggested, "Or go back to Berk and tell the others?"  
"Back to Berk," Tuff decided. "The others need to know about this."

Fortunately, the other riders and dragons were still in the arena when they returned: because the news, if it got out, would've caused mass- panic.

"So Alvin has the Skrill," Stoick said, pacing back and forth. "This is bad… This is very bad."

Hiccup's expression was thoughtful; "Actually, we might be able to turn the situation to our advantage…" The others fell silent: It seemed impossible to them; but they all knew that if anyone could figure out a way, it would be Hiccup.

Stoick voiced the question they were all thinking, "How, son?"

Hiccup turned to the twins, "You said that you heard Alvin say that he has no intention of handing- over the Skrill…" It wasn't really a question, but Ruff and Tuff nodded. Hiccup continued to speak, "If Dagur has any sense, he'll expect a double- cross; and Alvin's already plotting against Dagur … If the Skrill were to, say, ' _disappear_ ' before they could finalize and complete their agreement…" He smiled, and let the sentence drift.

Stoick understood immediately, "The Berserkers and the Outcasts will start accusing each other of treachery… Their entire alliance will collapse before it's even begun!"

"And they'll be so busy fighting each other that, with any luck; they won't even see us leave." Hiccup concluded. "But we'll have to act fast…"

 **Part Three – The Plan**

They spent the better part of an hour reviewing Hiccup's plan – both to ensure that everyone knew their part, and to ensure that they were as prepared as possible for anything that might go wrong.

Hiccup had also spent several minutes conversing with the Night- Furies that would be joining them. When asked, he said only that they were "discussing contingencies", and refused to elaborate.

Finally, once everything had been settled, the Riders climbed onto their dragons' backs, and they and the ten Night- Furies that would be joining them, rose into the sky.

 _Several hours later_ ,

As their group drew nearer to Outcast Island, the dragons with riders slowed and began to circle. Three of the Night- Furies continued, on silent wings, to scout out what lay ahead.

They returned only a few minutes later, carrying all the information they could want: The number and location of the guards on- duty; Which ones were stationary, and which ones were making rounds. They also informed Hiccup that Dagur, accompanied by several boatloads of Berserker warriors, had arrived shortly before they had.  
Apparently, the leader of the Berserkers looked **'rather irritable'** and was **'insisting that he see the Skrill before they even began to discuss the terms of a truce'.**

Armed with this information, they found a place to land, and for their dragons to wait; that was both near the Outcasts' Arena, where the Skrill was being held, and was a ways beyond the nearest of the sentries' routes.

 _A few minutes later_ ,

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Snotlout peered over the crest of the ridge they were using for cover, and down into the Outcasts' Dragon- Arena.  
The Skrill had been brought out, into the main part of the arena; wrapped in chains, and surrounded by Outcast warriors, armed with spears.

Dagur entered the arena a moment later, "A Skrill: The dragon of my people!" He took several more steps towards the creature, "So beautiful; so supple… So glorious!"  
He spared a glance at the men in the arena, and snorted, "You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you?" He didn't wait for an answer, "Because if you did, you'd have this dragon safely out of the storm… It draws its power from _lightening_!"

Hearing this, the gathered Outcasts hurried to force the dragon back into its' enclosure.

Once the gate had been secured, Dagur again moved forward, and – directing his words at the Skrill, said, "Not to worry, baby: When we get you all harnessed- up, you'll be free to strike at anyone you want… Or, more precisely, anyone _I_ want!" Dagur chuckled, clearly pleased with the thought.

Alvin stepped forward, then, "The Skrill isn't yours yet, Dagur: You'll get your price, but only after you fulfill the terms of our deal!" Dagur turned to Alvin, and forced a smile; though it didn't last long. Without another word, Dagur turned and stalked out of the arena, followed by his men.

Once the Berserkers were out of hearing, Savage turned to Alvin, "Remind me again why we're dealing with this… _lunatic_?"

In an equally low voice, Alvin said, "His knowledge of the Skrill; The size of his fleet: We'll need both to make sure we'll reclaim Berk…" Lowering his voice even further, he added, "Once we have, we'll dispose of them all."

 _That night,_

Several hours after night had fallen, they put their plan into action: Eight of the Night- Furies spread- out to keep watch, and warn them if anyone was coming.  
The riders and their dragons made their way towards the arena, accompanied by the remaining two Night- Furies.  
When they reached the main- entrance to the arena, the two Night- Furies that remained with them continued forwards… as black and silent as the night itself.  
The guards never saw them coming: As a matter of fact, they saw nothing at all… Save for the flash of blue- light, followed almost- immediately by blackness, as the four men lost consciousness.  
Once the way was clear, the other dragons and their riders hurried inside, and out of sight.  
When they reached the enclosure where the Skrill had been, they knew they had bigger problems: The enclosure was empty; the Skrill was gone.

The other Night- Furies met them at the entrance of the arena, and there was no need to ask why: From a distance, but drawing steadily nearer, they could hear raised- voices and the pounding of footsteps. Without a word, they rushed to find cover: The longer they could keep their presence here a secret, the better.

Perhaps a minute later, a group of twenty Outcast warriors came into view. Two rushed into the arena, only to emerge a moment later; "THE SKRILL IS GONE! SOUND THE ALARM!" Once the Outcasts had moved on, Hiccup and the others came out of hiding.

Turning to Hiccup, Astrid said, "We have got to find the Skrill before Alvin and Dagur do!"

Hiccup nodded in agreement, and turned to the others, "Mount up!"

 **Part Four – Changing the Terms**

Hiccup and Toothless were the first to spot the two boats – navigating the rocks that rose out of the sea…

One bore the Outcasts' Crest on its sails; the sails on the other depicted the Skrill – which the Berserker tribe had adopted as their sigil generations before.

"Going somewhere, Dagur?" Alvin bellowed, once the two boats were within sight of the other.

"I go where I want, Alvin." Dagur called back. He held a battle- axe in his left hand, and resting his right hand on the carved figurehead at the front of his boat.

"Not with our Skrill, you don't!" Alvin retorted.

Astrid turned to Hiccup, expecting to see a small grin on his face: The Berserkers and the Outcasts were turning against each other – Just as he'd planned.  
Instead, Hiccup looked grim. Before Astrid could ask what was bothering him, Dagur again raised his voice.

"It's not yours: It was never yours … Hello? It's on my belt- buckle, it's on my sail, my shields!"

"We had a deal, Dagur!" Alvin roared, clenching his fists as he spoke.

"Yeah, about that deal," Dagur turned, and walked towards the middle of his ship, where the mast stood. "I just changed the terms!"  
Dagur swung his axe, severing one of the ropes that held the mainsail in place. As the tension that the rope held was released, the sail drifted to one side, and they saw it: The Skrill was hovering above the rear- deck of Dagur's ship; as high up as the leather- harness it wore would allow.  
Two ropes hung down from the harness, so that the dragon could be 'aimed' towards its target. Two of Dagur's men stood near the rear of the boat, each of them holding the end of one of the ropes. The Skrill clearly didn't like this arrangement: It roared, and bolts of lightening crackled down from the sky, and across its scales.

Alvin bellowed, drew his sword, and leapt across to the deck of Dagur's boat, "I'll cut you to pieces!"

Dagur smirked, "You'll try!" As he spoke, he leapt towards Alvin, axe in hand.

For several minutes, they fought: Alvin demanding that Dagur return 'his' Skrill; and Dagur refusing, telling Alvin that it has never been his. Then Alvin sent Dagur's axe flying out of his hands, and slashed at Dagur again; he missed, but not by much.

"You can't run for ever, Dagur!" Alvin warned him, as the Chief of the Berserkers dodged his next two strikes; and leapt towards the rear of his boat.

Snatching the 'reins' to the Skrill's harness from his men, Dagur rounded on Alvin, "Oh? I think it's time _you_ did some running!"  
As he spoke, Dagur yanked on the reigns: The Skrill roared, and lightning coursed through the Skrill's body. Alvin launched himself to one side, dodging the Skrill's blast, but losing his sword in the process.  
Dagur yanked on the reigns again; and, like before, Alvin managed to dodge the Skrill's second blast of lightening. Realizing this wasn't a fight he could win, Alvin rushed to the side, and jumped overboard.

Dagur chuckled, "Tired of running? … You want to try swimming?" Dagur leaped onto the side of his boat. "That won't help either!"

Alvin's eyes widened, and he vanished underwater; at the same moment that Dagur again yanked the reigns. When the lightning hit the water, a patch of water – perhaps ten feet across lit- up. The light lasted for only a moment, though bolts continued to crackle across the affected area for several seconds afterwards.  
Dagur chuckled again, "Well: That takes care of that."

By now, a number of other Outcasts had jumped across from Alvin's boat, weapons drawn. Dagur noticed them, and jumped back down to the deck, "Savage; I have a one- time offer for you and your men: You can join me, or you can _join Alvin_."  
As he finished speaking, he gestured over the side; to the place where Alvin had vanished, and where dead fish were beginning to float to the surface.

The fight immediately went out of the Outcasts: They looked at the place where Alvin had vanished, then at the Skrill. Those watching the scene from above knew what their answer would be even before the Outcasts gave it.

 _Five minutes later_ ,

Five minutes later, the two boats had returned to Outcast Island, to begin preparations for their attack on Berk. Fishlegs was trembling, "Oh, Thor… Oh, Thor… The Berserkers, the Outcasts and the Skrill! This is bad… This very bad!"

Astrid turned to Hiccup, "What do we do now?"

"What _can_ we do? We had our chance: We tried, and we failed." Snotlout said, scowling.

"We have _not_ failed," Hiccup said, in a surprisingly calm voice. "The key objective of my plan was to get the Skrill out of _Alvin's_ possession; because Alvin has the more dangerous mind. I'll admit: It didn't _quite_ play- out as I'd planned, but this objective _has_ been achieved."

Astrid was the first to grasp what Hiccup was saying, " _This_ is the 'contingency' you were planning for, isn't it?" The moment the words were out of her mouth, the tension seemed to drain out of them… It fit: Hiccup was _always_ one- step ahead.

Hiccup nodded, and Astrid saw the same gleam in his eyes as when he was solving the riddles left by Hamish the Second. "Exactly: Dagur is playing _my_ game, now; and he doesn't even know it." Hiccup gave them a moment to process this, then, "Now: Here's what we're going to do…"

 _Shortly,_

After Hiccup had explained his 'contingency- plan', he scribbled a short note to his father; explaining that they'd encountered 'a snag', and wouldn't return to Berk until the following day. He then gave the note to the Terrible- Terror he'd brought with him, and the little dragon took- off for home.

Then he and the others relocated; so as to have an easier time monitoring the readiness of the Berserker fleet, and they'd know when to put Hiccup's plan into action.

 **Part Five – Contingency Plan**

 _Early, the following morning,_

The sun was beginning to rise when Hiccup opened his eyes, and got to his feet. He stretched, and turned to Toothless, "Great day to foil an invasion, hey bud: Light winds, plenty of cloud- cover…"  
The black- dragon snorted, amused, and Astrid who was also awake, chuckled.  
The others woke- up soon afterwards: well rested, and, as Snotlout aptly put it, "ready to kick some Berserker- butt!"  
They ate a quick breakfast, went over the plan one last time, and got into position.

 _Within the hour_ ,

Savage marched up to Dagur, "The fleet is ready to sail to Berk, Sir."

"Excellent!" Dagur declared, gesturing with both hands as he spoke, "Now that this whole 'Alvin- business' is behind us, we can lure _Hiccup_ and his _Night- Fury_ into battle, and…"

"Why wait?" Hiccup called, as he and Toothless moved out from behind the boulder they'd been using as cover. "I'm right here, Dagur… and my Night- Fury!"

Dagur scowled up at them, " _Hiccup_."

"I thought we could settle this like real Vikings: Just you and me," Hiccup continued.

"Sir, don't let him bait you: We have the advantage in numbers!" Savage attempted to caution Dagur, who 'responded' with a backhanded blow to Savage's face that sent the other man flying backwards.

Dagur jumped off the dock, and onto his boat; where the reigns of the Skrill had been secured to the mast. Turning back to Hiccup, Dagur called, "Me and my Skrill, against you and your Night- Fury? I like those odds!"  
Once again, Dagur yanked on the Skrill's reigns: Toothless easily dodged the Skrill's lightening bolt, and swerved away; trying to lure Dagur into following them.

The Skrill surged after them; carrying Dagur, who was keeping a firm grip on the reigns, with it. A moment later, Dagur's feet touched solid- ground, and he gave the ropes another yank. Once again, Toothless dodged the bolt, and he and Hiccup continued to lead Dagur towards the trap they had set – using what they had learned from the 'example' that Dagur himself had made of Alvin. (Hey; even the best plan can use 'a few tweaks', now and then.)

Finally, they reached their destination; two stone- pillars with flat tops: One 'happened' to be dotted with several small– medium sized puddles, the other was clear.  
It was 'almost' as though a dragon has breathed fire on the stone, to evaporate the puddles that _had_ been there; not that Dagur would've noticed, or cared.  
Toothless set- down on the water- free pillar, with Hiccup on his back; and Dagur's feet touched the other pillar. Only the toe of his left boot was in the water, though; it wasn't enough, not for what they had planned.

Looking smug, Dagur called, "Want to see superior warrior-ness? … Just keep watching!" He yanked on the ropes, and the Skrill launched another lightening- bolt.

At the same moment, Toothless launched a plasma- bolt; the two strikes collided in midair, and cancelled each other out. Hiccup and Toothless had known that would happen, having witnessed it during their first encounter with the Skrill.

When the next two clashes met the same result as the first, Dagur chuckled, "That's it? I was expecting something more… Challenging!"

"So was I!" Hiccup answered, trying to provoke Dagur into taking one more step forward; into the largest puddle on Dagur's rock… It worked.

Dagur's scowl returned, as deep as Hiccup had ever seen it; "Any last- words, _Hiccup_?"

"I got nothing," Hiccup answered, "How about you, bud?"

Speaking so that only Hiccup would hear him, Toothless said **'Yes: this was too easy.'** With that, Toothless launched one last plasma- bolt.

Dagur yanked the reigns, and the Skrill fired another lightening- bolt: Only this time, the lightening crackled traced a path the cords, and into Dagur: The water he'd stepped into conducting the electricity.

Dagur howled in pain; then, as the last of the charge dispersed, the force of it flung Dagur off of his pillar. He landed, unconscious, but otherwise unharmed, near the base of the pillar he'd fallen from.

"I doubt he's going to be leading an invasion anytime soon!" Hiccup commented, grinning.

' **Wish I could say the same for** _ **him**_ **!'** Toothless said, as he leapt from the top of their column to avoid another lightning- bolt from the Skrill.

Their victory had not gone unnoticed by the Berserkers below, but before they could mobilize enough to retaliate, six of the remaining Night- Furies – as well as Hookfang, Meatlug and Stormfly, and their riders, attacked them from above.

Their goal: Keep the Berserkers so busy fighting and defending themselves that they couldn't attack, or track where Hiccup, Toothless, and the two Night- Furies who'd joined them, had driven 'their' Skrill.

The Night- Furies didn't attack the Skrill, rather: they followed close behind, ready to jump- in if needed, but mainly to ensure that the Skrill didn't veer off- course… It didn't: The Skrill seemed determined to finish- off Hiccup and Toothless. But no matter how many lightening- bolts it launched, Toothless evaded them all.  
As the minutes passed, they drew steadily closer to the massive glacier that was to be the Skrill's new 'home'.

Finally, when they were within two- hundred feet of the glacier, the two Night- Furies who'd accompanied Ruff, Tuff, and their Zippleback to the glacier joined them.  
Then the five Night- Furies began to actively harry the Skrill: Forcing it ever- closer to the large cleft in the ice, above which the Twins and their Zippleback circled…

Once the Skrill had been forced into the deepest part of the cleft and knocked unconscious by five consecutive plasma- blasts – and Hiccup and the Night- Furies had emerged into the open sky, Ruff and Tuff moved in.  
 **'Gas,'** Barf said, an instant before the Zippleback's right- head began to release the cloud of explosive- gas. **'Spark,'** Belch added, as the left- head ignited the gas.  
As the gas ignited, and a flood of water rushed into the cleft in the glacier, the Zippleback- heads 'spoke' in unison: **'Boom- boom!'**

The waves of cold given off by the glacier were so intense, that the water required only a few minutes to freeze solid. Once it had, they made their way back towards Outcast Island.

When their friends saw them, they rose into the air, vanishing into the clouds.

By the time the Berserkers had pieced- together what had happened, they'd be long- gone.

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	6. Chapter 6

**The 'Flight' Stuff**

 **Part One – An Overeager 'Dragon Rider'**

Hiccup and the others arrived back on Berk shortly before noon, the morning after they'd set out to retrieve the Skrill.

They'd been spotted almost an hour earlier, so they weren't surprised to see the crowd that had gathered.

Hiccup himself told most of the story: He explained how, at first, it had looked as though everything was going to go according to plan. Until, of course, they'd made it into the Outcasts' Arena, to find the Skrill's cell empty.

He described the clash between Alvin and Dagur, and of how it had lead to Alvin's defeat, and Dagur's 'offer' to accept the Outcasts into the ranks of the Berserkers.

Finally, he described both his contingency plan, and ended with the news that the Skrill had been refrozen, and was no longer a threat to them.

After Hiccup had finished speaking, Astrid filled- in the rest of the story; mainly how the rest of them had gone about keeping the Berserker fleet busy, while Hiccup and those with him saw to the Skrill.

By the time she finished, a thought occurred to Hiccup: 'Someone' wasn't where he usually was. He glanced in the direction of the Dragon- Training Academy; then, turning back to the gathered villagers, asked, "Has anyone seen Gustav, recently?"

Even as he spoke, he was reaching for the nearest bucket: He already knew the answer.

 _Shortly_ ,

Gustav had been in the arena for perhaps five minutes, pretending that he was a dragon- rider. He didn't have a dragon, so he'd decided to make- do. He'd tied a pair of leather 'wings' to a sheep's back, and 'borrowed' a set of bellows from Gobber's forge.  
Next he'd placed a lit candle in front of the bellows, and settled on the sheep's back; between the wings: Whenever he pumped on the bellows, a column of fire shot out in front of them.

Gustav was pretty pleased with himself: He'd managed to go a full four minutes before setting anything… That was when he noticed that one of the supply- crates was on fire.

He leapt off of the sheep, and rushed over, "Oh, no! Oh, no! … What do we do? What do we do?" He was about to start blowing on the flames, already knowing that it wasn't going to do any good.

Before he could, Hiccup upended his bucket of water over the flames, which immediately went out, "Gustav… How many times have we told you: You can't play in here."

"I wasn't playing," Gustav protested. "I was dragon- training!"

Snotlout smirked, "Poor kid… Ever since I let him into my inner- circle he wants to be just like his hero: Me!"

Astrid raised an eyebrow at Snotlout, "Gross and annoying?"

"No; A dragon- rider!" Gustav corrected, puffing out his chest, as he spoke.

"Look around, kid," Snotlout said, "All of the dragon- rider positions are taken, so unless one of us kicks the bucket, you're out of luck."

Toothless turned to Gustav, and – in a much kinder tone, 'said', **'** _ **Even dragons must wait to fly until their wings are strong enough to bear their weight… It is not an easy wait, as I and every other dragon know; but the freedom of the open- sky is worth it: Be patient.**_ **'**

Gustav sighed, and nodded, "Ok…" He looked a little crestfallen, but he turned around, and made his way out of the arena.

As he left, Toothless gave Snotlout a cold look, and he wasn't the only one glaring in that direction. (Off to one side, Ruff and Tuff were talking in low voices.)

 **Part Two – The Five Signposts of Valhalla**

 _One week later; The Berk Dragon- Academy_ ,

" _I'M GONNA 'KICK THE BUCKET'_!" Snotlout shouted, as he burst into the Dragon- Academy arena, white- faced and wide- eyed.

The others glanced in his direction, and Hiccup said, "Uh, Snotlout… Do you mind? We're having a Dagur- meeting, here."

Tuff tensed, "Dagur's here?"

"In the past week, I've seen three of the five signposts to Valhalla!" Snotlout continued, as he moved towards them.

The others again tore their gazes from the map, and – speaking in unison, said, " _We know_."

"You know?" Snotlout asked, incredulously. "And you're just standing there, talking about stupid Dagur? One of your bravest, and most treasured warriors _IS ABOUT TO LEAVE THIS WORLD_ , _forever_!"

"Look on the bright side," Tuff said, "At least you'll be in eternal- paradise."

"So will we," Astrid said, a little wistfully.

"Joke all you want about me, but what about Hookfang?" Snotlout asked, gesturing at his Monstrous Nightmare. The dragon glanced over at the sound of his name, and then settled down again, and – for all appearances, dozed- off.

"Are you done?" Hiccup asked.

Snotlout glared at them, "No… Not even close: Though devastated, and still in pre-mourning, Gustav had volunteered to carry- on the Snotlout- legacy!"

Gustav appeared next to Snotlout; though he looked more excited than 'devastated', "It's an honour!"

Astrid rolled her eyes, "Please tell me he's not going to fly around saying 'OY, OY, OY!'"

"That's a good idea," Snotlout turned to Gustav, "Gustav: Make a note of that."

Hiccup took a deep breath, and exhaled, "Look, Snotlout: The 'Five Signposts of Valhalla' is just an old story…"

"Oh? Then why have I seen: The flying fish; the weeping rock; and the singing- trees?" Snotlout asked.

Fishlegs rolled his eyes, "You probably just saw: a salmon spawning, a wet rock on the beach, and a gust of wind."

"Besides, the 'Five Signposts of Valhalla' are only supposed to happen to great warriors," Astrid added.

"Obviously… What's your point?" Snotlout asked.

"And even if it were true, which it is not, you can't just pick someone to be your replacement," Hiccup concluded, exasperated.

"Well you guys threw- out my original plan," Snotlout began.

"'To bury Hookfang alive beside you'?" Astrid finished, incredulously.

"He would gladly sacrifice himself for his beloved master!" Snotlout said, walking towards his dragon as he spoke.

Hookfang snorted, **'You're taking rather a lot for granted.'** With that, he swept his tail across the arena floor, and sent Snotlout flying. He landed, face- down, a few feet away from where Hiccup stood. Hookfang settled into his previous position, and continued to doze.

Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes, Hiccup said, "Ok… Lets just say, for arguments sake, that you've seen three of the five signposts: It doesn't mean anything; There're still two left and…"

At that precise moment, a chicken fell into the arena, less than a foot from Snotlout's head: It was dead.

Snotlout saw it a moment later, and leapt to his feet… backing away, "Oh, no! Oh, no! – The fourth signpost: The bird of death!"

Hiccup bent over the chicken, "It's not the bird of death, it's just a dead chicken… It's not the same thing; right, guys?"

"Sure it is," Ruff and Tuff said in unison. "Definitely: Bird of death."

Snotlout turned to Gustav, "We're on the clock, little- man: We're starting your training immediately!"

Hiccup decided they'd wasted enough time on this, "Alright; fine! The rest of us have to keep an eye on Outcast Island. While we're gone, try not to take anyone else to your 'eternal- paradise'." He and the other riders mounted their respective dragons, and took- off.

 _Several hours after noon_ ,

When Hiccup and the others returned to the Academy, Hiccup was half- hoping that Snotlout would've gotten over the whole 'five signposts business'… Of course: No such luck.

Five minutes later, Hiccup had had enough, "Ok, this has gone on long enough… First of all: You. Are. Not. Dying." Snotlout made to speak, but Hiccup overrode him, "Secondly: no one vested you with any power; and even if they did, Gustav is simply not ready to be a member of this Academy."

"Hiccup's right," Fishlegs agreed. "There's far more to being a dragon- rider than feeding it and getting on its back."

"Neither of which he can do very well." Astrid commented.

"Nobody's perfect… Well, except for me," Snotlout said. "Fishlegs is afraid of heights; the Twins can't count past nine…" He placed a hand on Astrid's shoulder, "Astrid has obvious anger- issues…" Astrid glared at him, and Snotlout hurriedly backed- off. Then he turned to Hiccup, "Well… enough said." Snotlout returned his attention to Astrid, then, "Ah, Astrid: What might have been…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Astrid has snatched his hand off his shoulder; and bent the fingers backward, far further than they were supposed to go. "Finish that sentence, and you're not going to live long enough to see the fifth…"

"RUNNAWAY- SHEEP!" Tuffnut shouted, an instant before a river of wool flowed into the arena; headed directly for Snotlout.

Fishlegs gasped, "The Shepherds' Curse!"

"The fifth signpost?" Astrid's eyes widened, though she sounded more surprised than concerned.

A moment later, Snotlout vanished beneath the flow of wool; though they could hear his muffled shouting, "Avenge me: Have lamb for dinner!" Then the sheep moved further into the arena, and they again saw Snotlout: He sat up, coughed twice, and then fainted.

Snotlout regained consciousness a few minutes later – to find a sheep licking his face. He pushed the animal away, and got to his feet. He took one look around the arena, and said, "This is Valhalla? … What a rip-off!"

Hiccup shook his head, "Nope, still Berk: You fainted."

"More proof that my warrior's- body is failing me," Snotlout said, glumly. "I don't have much time: Hiccup… You have to let Gustav take my place."

"Gustav is not taking your place: He's not ready." Hiccup's voice was firm.

"Well… Train me anyway," Gustav suggested. "Isn't that what you do here? I thought this was a dragon- training academy."

Hiccup took a beep breath, and let it out. Before he could speak, Astrid came forward, "What Hiccup's trying to say is that you need experience: You can't become a dragon- rider overnight."

"That's true," Fishlegs agreed. "The rider needs experience; the dragon needs experience; and the dragon and the rider _together_ need experience."

"Experience, huh?" Gustav said, thoughtfully. He nodded – apparently satisfied with that, and made his was out of the arena.

 _A few hours later_ ,

Hiccup was about to suggest that they finish- up for the day, when an unfamiliar Monstrous Nightmare, and an _all- too familiar_ Viking- boy shot through the entrance to the arena.

Tuff took one look at the new arrivals, and said, "Is it me, or did a tiny Hookfang and Snotlout just fly in?"

"Gustav… What exactly are you doing?" Hiccup asked.

"Well; you said I needed experience, so I found my own dragon: trained myself!" Even as Gustav spoke, 'his dragon' was running amok in the arena.

Hiccup followed the new- arrival with his eyes for a moment, then said, "Gustav; I'm not entirely sure we have the same definition of 'trained'."

"Fellow riders," Gustav began, "I'd like you all to meet my dragon; Fanghook." As he spoke, the younger Nightmare got a little too close too Hookfang, who roared – causing the other dragon to scramble backwards.

Hiccup looked first at 'Fanghook', than back to Gustav, "Look, we told you: There's more to being a dragon- rider than simply riding a dragon… You need to form a bond – A friendship."

"We have one!" Gustav insisted. "Test us: We'll prove it!" Without another word, he hurried over to Fanghook, and clambered onto the dragon's back. Snotlout and Hookfang stood off to one side, both of them watching the new (unofficial) rider- dragon pair.

Turning to Hiccup and Astrid, and keeping his voice low, Fishlegs said, "It might not be the worst idea… I mean, look at Snotlout: Maybe he needs to see how easily he can be replaced."

"Enough said: I'm in," Astrid decided.

"It's worth a try," Hiccup decided. He started forwards, and, in a louder voice, said, "You know what, Gustav, you're absolutely right."

Snotlout shot to his feet, "Whoa, whoa, whoa… He is?" Scratching his backside as he spoke.

"Yes, he is." Hiccup repeated, "I mean: Maybe you really did see the five signposts to Valhalla, and maybe you are going to die soon…" Snotlout continued to scratch, and – finally, Hiccup added, " And maybe you can stop scratching your butt, when I'm talking to you?"

"Sorry," Snotlout muttered, as he scratched. "It's all this broad-grass in my shorts."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "And your shorts are full of broad-grass… why?"

"A better question is why aren't yours?" Snotlout countered. Then, gesturing at Ruff and Tuff, he added, "The twins told me it prevents saddle- chaffing."

Hiccup turned to the twins; the pieces already coming together in his mind, "They also let the sheep in, and sheep do love broad-grass." He started towards the twins, who started to back away the closer he got. "And I'm guessing you also dropped the 'bird of death'?"

"We have no idea what you're talking about," Ruff said, unconvincingly.

An instant later, two chickens dropped from the sky, landing directly into the arms of each twin. The lot of them looked up, and there was the Twins' Zippleback, hovering directly above them. The twins grinned, and bolted towards the entrance of the dragon- training arena; followed closely by the _next_ two chickens that their dragon dropped into the arena.

Snotlout slapped a fist into his other palm, "Oh: I get it! So this means…" A brief pause, then, "I give- up: What does this mean?"

Resisting the urge to groan aloud, Astrid said, "It means the twins were messing with you."

"Right… Right," Snotlout said, as though he actually understood. "And…"

"You. Are. Not. Dying." Hiccup said, again.

Snotlout's eyes widened, "I'm alive? … I'M ALIVE!" With that, Snotlout started kissing his hands, then his arms, as he said, "Thank- you, Thor!" over and over again.

Leaning towards Hiccup, Astrid murmured, "I'm not sure which is more annoying: Snotlout when he thought he was dying, or… _this_."

Then Gustav spoke- up, "So… I guess we're not in the dragon- academy, huh? … I just want to be a dragon- rider so bad!" As he spoke, Fanghook came forward, until he was standing next to Gustav.

Hiccup looked from Gustav to Fanghook, then back to Gustav. Finally, he said, "Tell you what, Gustav: Why don't we make you our very first junior- apprentice- back-up reserve- replacement- rider."

"In- training," Astrid added.

"Fourth- class," Snotlout finished.

Gustav was silent for a moment, then, "YES!" (He wasn't sure exactly what it meant; but he had to start somewhere, and this was… definitely ' _somewhere_ '.)

"You realize, however, that means you'll have to study," Hiccup told him. Gustav nodded, "Got it."

"Take a turn cleaning- out the dragon- stalls," Fishlegs added. Gustav nodded again, "Check."

"And no more unauthorized dragon- flying," Hiccup finished. "Neither of you are ready."

Gustav sighed, and Fanghook brought his head down, and nudged Gustav with his snout. Reluctantly, Gustav nodded, "I understand."

"You're starting to form a bond," Hiccup told them. "And that's important, you just aren't ready to go to the next step; not yet," Hiccup told them, and it seemed to cheer them both up a little.

They released Fanghook before they returned to Berk.

It wasn't easy, but Gustav gestured to his dragon, "Go on, Fanghook: Be free!" The dragon nudged him one last time with his snout, and the dragon turned and walked away.

A moment later, he vanished from view.

The others had remounted their dragons, but Hiccup and Gustav remained on- foot. In a voice too low for the others to hear, Hiccup said, "It's not that you can't spend time with Fanghook, but remember what I said: No unauthorized flying."

Then, in a louder voice, Hiccup said, "You need a minute?"

Gustav blinked: He wasn't sure how, but Hiccup seemed to have guessed at the 'arrangement' that he and Fanghook had made. Gustav nodded, "Yeah; I'll… I'll see you guys later." He lowered his voice, and added, "How did you know about… uh…"

Hiccup grinned, "Fanghook; Just before he left, he said 'I'll hide behind that stand of trees until they've left'… I think he forgot that _I'm_ the only human who understands their language." Hiccup turned, and clambered back into Toothless's saddle.

Once the other riders had departed, Fanghook emerged from hiding. Gustav grinned up at his dragon, "So: What should we practice today?"

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Frozen**

 **Part One – The Storm**

The people of Berk were no stranger to bad weather: They got their fair share, and then some. They'd gather provisions, hunker down, and wait it out, just as they always had.

Since there was no telling how long the storm would last, Hiccup, the other Riders of Berk, and their dragons had taken shelter in the Dragon Training Academy; so they could at least get some training done.  
At first, it hadn't been that bad: Days passed, the storm continued to rage, and things started to get less… 'Comfortable'.

 _One week later, inside the Dragon Training Academy_ ,

Hiccup was standing in front of a diagram he'd chalked onto the side of a boulder, gesturing to it as he spoke, "So as you can see by the chart, proper wing- control can be achieved by…"  
He was interrupted when a fireball shot over his shoulder, and into the boulder; leaving a layer of ash, over part of Hiccup's diagram. He spun around, "Ok, Ok; who shot that fireball?"

Snotlout was leaning against Hookfang, whistling 'innocently', until he saw Hiccup glaring at him, "Why're you looking at me?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Come on, guys: I don't want to be in here any more than you do… Can we just get back to training? Please."

"I say we play 'Twenty Questions' instead: Anyone? Anyone?" Snotlout turned towards where Astrid was sitting, "Astrid: Why do you love me so much?"  
Astrid looked like she was about to be sick.

 _Flashback;_

 _A few days before the storm had set- in, she and Snotlout had been paired- up on a mission: They were supposed to be looking for the Screaming Death, but – as always, Snotlout was using it as an opportunity to flirt with her._

 _She ignored him for the better part of an hour, then – when Snotlout began suggesting that she'd fallen for him, and had_ _asked_ _to be paired- up with him, Astrid had lost what remained of her patience._

 _She'd decided to pretend that he_ _had_ _won her over, and started calling him by a variety of pet- names – all of which were embarrassingly childish. Snotlout had immediately backed- off, pleading for her to stop._

 _Later, once they'd re-joined the others, Astrid had called him by one of the names again – so that Hiccup could see Snotlout's reaction. It had been perfect: Snotlout's face had gone white, and he and Hookfang had pulled away..._

 _When she saw the surprise on Hiccup's face, Astrid had explained her idea – making sure to keep her voice low enough to be sure that none of the others would overhear._

 _After she'd explained, and asked Hiccup what he thought, Hiccup had hesitated for a moment, then – in an equally low voice, said, "It_ _was_ _a clever idea, but… Astrid; Snotlout's not that bright: He might think you actually meant it." Noticing her expression, Hiccup added, "Just act as though it never happened: Hopefully, Snotlout will think he imagined it."_

To Astrid's relief, Tuff spoke- up, "ME, ME, ME! I'll go first: Question number one; how do you play 'Twenty Questions'?"

Hiccup sighed, "Can we try to stay focused, even for a second?"

"We've been stuck inside for a week straight because of this crazy weather," Astrid said. "We're all starting to go a little nuts."

A sudden noise caught their attention: Barf and Belch, the two heads of the Twins' Zippleback, were chasing their tails.

"Barf and Belch just realized they have tails!" Ruff said, laughing, "And it looks like they really hate that idea."

"I know," Tuff commented. "I got the same way when I found out _I_ had a tail!" He started running around in a circle, glancing behind him as he went. "You can't hide from me forever, invisible- tail; I will find you!"

Laughing, Ruff walked over to the others and, in a low whisper, said, "I 'may' have told Tuff that he has a tail, too." Without waiting for a reply, she re-joined her brother.

Another distraction came a moment later, when the doors to the outside were pushed open from the outside, and Stoick entered. "Odin's Ghost: It's cold out there!" Stoick commented, after he'd closed the door behind him. "It's the worst freeze in the history of Berk: My… My beard is frozen solid!"

Hiccup made his way forward, "So, Father, what brings you to the Academy?"

"Trader Johann hasn't reported to port: If he's trapped in this storm, he won't last through the night," Stoick explained.

"Oh, uh, I could go!" Hiccup offered. "I mean… Toothless could help find Johann's ship in the darkness: He's the perfect dragon for the job."

"Oh, I don't know…" Stoick didn't appear thrilled by the idea.

"Please, dad: If you ever cared for me at all; the way a father cares for his son; then you will let me leave _this_." Hiccup gestured around the room.

Stoick looked around the room, and Hiccup saw his eyes widen. He turned back to Hiccup, and sighed, "Close the door behind you when you leave." The door opened and closed again, and Stoick was gone.

Astrid had overheard their exchange, "Be careful, Hiccup: It's pretty bad, out there."

Hiccup smiled, and gave her a reassuring nod; "We'll see you when we get back."

 **Part Two – A Rescue Mission**

 _Two and a half hours later_ ,

"It's pretty dark, out here," Hiccup commented. "Do your thing, bud."

Toothless released a peculiar roar, tilting his ears forward as he did; to receive the faint sound that would bounce back, telling him what lay hidden in the darkness ahead.

Just as the echoes were returning, the sun began to rise, and light returned to the world. _**'Oh, sure:**_ _ **Now**_ _ **it shows up,'**_ Toothless grumbled.

"Wow…" Hiccup said; amazed by what he was seeing. "Look at this: I've never seen the ocean frozen solid before… No wonder Trader Johann can't get to port!"

As they were passing over a bank of fog, Toothless growled. Hiccup was about to ask what he'd heard, and then the sounds reached his ears.

A moment later, a pack of… something, Hiccup couldn't get a good look, raced underneath them: running across the ice- sheet in the direction the two of them had come from.

Once the last of the creatures had vanished from view, Hiccup said, "I don't know what that was, bud, but I'm glad that it's down there, and we're up here."

Toothless growled again, then he spun around, and they continued on their way.

 _Half an hour later,_

They found Trader Johann's ship a half- hour after they'd glimpsed the mysterious creatures.

As they drew nearer, they heard Johann say, "Oh, Master Hiccup: You're a welcome sight for these weary eyes!"

Trader Johann double- checked that all of his more valuable goods were locked safely away, this took four minutes; and that he had his keys with him: he didn't, and finding them took another ten minutes.  
Finally, he joined Hiccup on Toothless's back, and the Night- Fury leapt back into the sky.

As they flew, Trader Johann offered to tell him about some of his adventures, to help pass the time. Hiccup had accepted eagerly: knowing that Trader Johann had travelled to a great many places, and fully expecting the tales to be both interesting and exciting.

He quickly learned that, whatever talents Trader Johann might possess, story- telling was not one of them. Hiccup had a feeling this would be the case from the moment Johann had said "Did I ever tell you about the time I found myself up against the man- eating metal- masons of Minory- Majory? – Ah: It was…"

Hiccup and Toothless exchanged a look, and they could tell that the same thought was on both of their minds: ' _It's going to be a long flight back to Berk.'_

 **Part Three – The Speed- Stingers**

They set- down in the middle of Berk, already aware that something was very wrong: The storm had passed, and it was midmorning… but there was no sign of the villagers.

They searched house after house, but came up with nothing. When they reached his house, Hiccup hurried inside; but it was the same as the others.

They found dropped mugs, spilled drinks, and several abandoned wagons… but no people. It was the last of these that worried Hiccup and Toothless the most: If Berk had fallen to Dagur – or some other enemy, the buildings would've been looted, burned, or taken- over by the conquering- force… but there was no sign of any of that.

Trader Johann began talking about how reminded him of sometime when he was somewhere, doing something: Hiccup and Toothless both tuned him out.

A moment later, Hiccup saw a flicker of movement through the half- open door of one of the houses that they hadn't checked.  
Gesturing for Toothless to wait outside, in case he needed back- up, Hiccup cautiously opened the door, and stepped inside. Instinct told him not to call out, so he stopped where he stood: he took in his surroundings, listening for the creak of floorboards. Then there was a sudden sound from above him, and something fell towards him!

The reflexes he'd gained since he'd first entered the Dragon Trance kicked in: He launched himself to the right, rolled and was back on his feet – dagger was in his hand. He spun around, and found "Fishlegs?"

Fishlegs wasn't listening, "They were fast… Too fast… Speedy… Oh: and their sting… Paralyzing sting…"

"Wow, wow, wow: Hold on," Hiccup said. "What are you talking about?"

With visible effort, Fishlegs stopped pacing and said, "Speed- Stingers."

"Speed- Stingers?" Hiccup repeated. "Here?" As he spoke, Toothless joined them inside the house.

Fishlegs nodded, "It all started just after nightfall: They don't fly, but they're fast… Faster than any dragon I've ever seen… They're scavengers: They head for any food they can find… One drop of their venom will paralyze any human or dragon in an instant… They move in a pack following their leader, like he's some kind of war- chief… By the time Stoick had ordered everyone to the cove, the entire village had been overrun."

Hiccup took a moment to consider what Fishlegs had told him, and then asked, "Where are the Speed- Stingers now?"

"I don't know," Fishlegs moved towards the lit fireplace to warm his fingers. "The sun came up and they disappeared… But they'll be back: They come out at night."

"I don't understand, Fishlegs, why did you come back here? Why not just stay with everyone at the cove?"

Fishlegs gestured for Hiccup and Toothless to follow. He led them outside, and pointed at the roof of a near- by building: On the roof of the building – frozen in place, stood Meatlug.

"Just look at her up there: So majestic!"

Hiccup stared at the frozen Gronkle for a full minute, then said, "How'd we miss that?"

"She tried to draw them off so that I could escape, but…" Fishlegs turned to Hiccup, "I couldn't leave her."

Trader Johann re-joined them a moment later. He took one look at the frozen Gronkle, and asked, "How'd we miss that?"

It took some time, but they finally managed to load Meatlug into an empty wagon. Then the five of them began to make their way towards the cove.

 _Later, in the cove_ ,

At long last, they crested the final ridge, and got their first good look into the cove. For a moment, Hiccup couldn't move: Everywhere he looked, he saw villagers – frozen in place.

They made their way down into the cove, walking between the frozen villagers. After several minutes of searching, they found Stoick – Hiccup's father: He was standing on top of a large boulder, sword in hand, and he was frozen in place; like so many others…  
On the ground, next to the boulder, lay Thornado; Stoick's Thunderdrum… The dragon hadn't been frozen, but he remained where he lay – though he glanced up at Hiccup, as the latter drew nearer.

"He gave as good as he got, Hiccup," Gobber said, as he joined Hiccup at the base of the boulder. "It took six of those Speed- Stingers to freeze the poor- bugger."

"Ha-rug-rug-rug," Stoick said grumbled, unintelligibly, from the top of his boulder.

"You bet-cha, Chief!" Gobber agreed, 'helpfully'.

"What did he say?" Hiccup asked.

Gobber leaned towards him, "No clue; don't want to make him feel worse than he does, though."

Hiccup shook his head, "I should've been here… Toothless and I could've helped."

Gobber shook his head, "Nonsense, boy; there were too many of them… Nothing would've mattered." There was a brief pause, then he added, " I'll tell you one thing, though: Those Speed- Stingers would've been dinning on smoked- sturgeon and yak- jerky tonight if it wasn't for your dad!"

Stoick grumbled something else, and Gobber turned back to the boulder, "Couldn't agree with you more, Stoick!"

" _Hiccup!"_ Turning in the direction of the voice, Hiccup saw Astrid running across the clearing towards them.

A moment later, Astrid had thrown her arms around Hiccup, and he was hugging her in return. In a voice just loud enough for Astrid, Gobber, _and Stoick_ to hear, Hiccup said, "Astrid… Thank- Thor."

They separated a moment later, and Hiccup asked, "How's everyone else?"

Looking as though the world had just been lifted from her shoulders, Astrid said, "Everyone's fine; well, except for…" Astrid nodded towards an area behind Hiccup.

Turning, Hiccup saw Snotlout; frozen with his arms out in front of him, as though trying to shield himself. This was only the tip of the iceberg, however: Ruff and Tuff had each taken 'control' of one of Snotlout's hands, and were taking turns slapping him in the face: "Stop hitting yourself, Stop hitting yourself..."

As they watched, the twins started to get more… 'Creative': "Stop picking your own nose," and "Stop scratching…"

Astrid shrugged, "Actually, when you think about it, it's really not so bad."

They watched the Twins mess with Snotlout for perhaps five minutes; then, as word of Hiccup's return started to spread among those who hadn't been frozen.

By then, a small crowd had begun to gather around them.

At first, the question that everyone was asking was "What are we going to do?"

Then someone turned to Toothless, and asked, "Come to think of it, where're all the Night- Furies? Why weren't they helping when the Speed- Stingers attacked?"

Toothless let out a low growl, **'If I were to guess, I would say that my kin held back because to do otherwise would've done more harm than good. Once all of you began running about, there would be no way to ensure that we would hit our intended targets: The strike of a Stinger paralyzes; a plasma- bolt might kill. As to where at least some of my clan- mates are…'** Toothless paused, and released the now- familiar sound of a Night- Fury call.

From all around the cove, patches of darkness shifted, and transformed into dragons: Without their knowing it, forty- seven Night- Furies had joined them in the cove.

The nearest of the Night- Furies, a female, dipped her head in a short nod, **'The Stingers used an ice- bridge to get here; Such things may last for years, months, or only a few days. If these Stingers learned of us prematurely, they could go into hiding: Your tribe's resources are not the only sources of food on Berk, merely the most obvious.'**

A third Night- Fury, this one male, spoke next, **'Even as we speak, more of our clan- mates are searching the caves and tunnels of Berk, to find the Stingers' daytime- roost; all, that is, with an entrance through which 'shadows' may enter and leave unnoticed.'** __He turned his attention to the man who'd voiced the last question, and added, **'There** _ **are other caves**_ **, however, if** **you** **would care to join the search.'**

The other Night- Furies laughed, and the Viking who'd asked why The Colony had not joined them in their efforts looked 'a little' embarrassed.

The second Night- Fury turned to the other riders. **'We will remain here: Should the Stingers wake before you, or our clan- mates, find them; they will not have so easy a time as the did last night.'**

Relieved, the riders and their dragons gathered to discuss who would check which of the remaining caves. The Night- Furies were right: They only had so much time to work with, and a lot of ground to cover.

 **Part Four – Hunting Speed- Stingers**

They were about to mount- up, when a voice that none of them were expecting to hear said, "Hold up: You are not going on a Stinger- hunt without me!" It was Snotlout, still frozen from the neck down, though the muscles of his face seemed to be returning to normal.

"Wow: That is seriously creepy," Tuff commented, which pretty much summed it up.

"His paralysis is wearing- off," Fishlegs commented, adding a sarcastic " _Lucky_ _us_ " under his breath, though still loud enough for the other riders to hear.

Astrid rolled her eyes, "Snotlout, unless you plan on flying Hookfang with your teeth, you're not going anywhere."

"What do you mean: I'm fine!" Snotlout struggled to shift himself forward, but succeeded only in losing his balance, and falling flat on his face. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw "Gustav: Get your butt over here!"

With some difficulty, Gustav managed to get Snotlout back on his feet, and over towards where the other riders were preparing to mount- up.

"Snotlout Jorgensen: Reporting for duty!" As he spoke, Gustav pushed his right arm so his hand lifted to tap his helmet in a salute.

Surprised, Hiccup and Astrid took several steps toward Snotlout, and then they noticed the extra pair of legs, standing behind Snotlout.  
A moment later, Gustav stepped into view, "I'm Snotlout's arms and legs, Hiccup, and together we are…" Gustav disappeared behind Snotlout, and, making both of Snotlout's hands jitter through the air, the two said, "Gus-Lout!"

When Gustav continued to move his hands, Snotlout said, "Ok: Stop with the hands." A moment later, Snotlout's arms dropped back to his sides.

"Ok: Fine," Hiccup said. Then he turned to Astrid, and, in a low voice, added, "This aught to be good!" Astrid smirked.

They quickly re-assigned three of the caves to 'Gus-lout', and the five of them split- up – The plan being to meet- up at the center of town in two hours. That would leave then with just under two hours until the nightfall: Hopefully, that would be enough time to complete their 'extrication- plan'.

 _Two hours later_ ,

"So… Anything?" Hiccup asked, as the five of them settled- down in the center of the abandoned village.

"Not a single Stinger," Astrid said, from atop Stormfly's back.

"Us neither," Fishlegs added, from Meatlug's back.

The Twins, too, reported no sigh of their quarry, while Snotlout remained… unusually quiet, as though; for once, he was trying to _avoid_ attracting attention. This was so unlike him, that he quickly became the _center of attention._

"Snotlout," Hiccup asked, suspiciously, "Did you check your caves?"

"Really? I'm insulted Hiccup: Of course I did!" Snotlout said, without meeting Hiccup's eyes. "What? Do you think I fell off my dragon, and spent hours trying to get out of the sand? HA-HA… I didn't!"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow, "Gustav?"

Gustav poked his head out from where he sat behind Snotlout, "He fell off his dragon and we spent hours trying to get him out of the sand."

Snotlout growled, "Gustav, make me punch you!" Gustav pushed Snotlout's left arm forward; intending to slap Snotlout in the face, as the Twins had.

Unfortunately, for Snotlout, Gustav had forgotten that Snotlout's left hand was stuck in the thumbs- up position. A moment later, Snotlout's thumb had been lodged between his upper and lower lip, and – because of the size of Snotlout's muscles, Gustav couldn't get it out.

A moment later, Gustav admitted defeat, "Sorry, Snotlout: Your arm's stuck!"

"Wha goo-goo mean, 'my awm- shmuck'?" Snotlout demanded, trying to force the words around his thumb.

Trying not to laugh at the image of Snotlout with his thumb in his mouth, Hiccup said, "Well: At least we know where to look!"

They stopped only long enough for Stormfly to grab the cage they planned to use to transport the Speed- Stinger 'Chief' off of Berk – and, by using it as a lure, to lead the Speed- Stinger pack off of Berk.

Good news: They found the right cave quickly enough; it turned out to be the first one they tried.  
Bad news: The sun was beginning to set as they and their dragons were making their way inside… Talk about cutting it close.  
Good news: They managed to catch the Speed- Stingers' 'War- Chief' in the grappling- line from Hiccup's shield.  
Bad news: The 'chief' woke- up the moment they reached the cave- entrance, and the rest of his pack woke up perhaps five seconds later.  
Worse news: The lead- Stinger broke the cords that bound just as the others were pulling it out the mouth of the cave; It roared, and its pack began to assemble for a charge…

Before they could charge, Hookfang breathed fire at the mouth of the cave – cutting the pack off from their leader…

At the same moment, the last of Snotlout's paralysis wore- off, and he yanked his thumb out of his mouth, "SNOTLOUT! SNOTLOUT! OY, OY…"

Before he could say the third 'OY', the lead- Speed Stinger had leaped up, brought its stinger around, and stung Snotlout in the butt.

Snotlout had only enough time to say; "Oh, come on!" before the new wave of paralysis froze him in place.

Seeing an opportunity to salvage their plan, Hiccup called, "Astrid; follow us!"

Astrid brought Stormfly around, and she saw the same thing that Hiccup had, "I think I know where you're going with this!"

Their plan required spot- on timing, and several perfect shots. Of course; Hiccup and Astrid, with the help of their dragons; were able to pull it off. Together, they forced the lead Speed- Stinger into the open cage; and, with another well placed plasma- blast, Toothless closed the cage door, and the latch fell into place.

That was when things _really_ started to go wrong: The five dragons and their riders had regrouped around the cage; Stormfly had several of the bars in her claws, and they were ready to take- off.  
Then the other Speed- Stingers swarmed them: if they tried to take- off, the Stingers would freeze the dragons before they'd risen ten feet into the air.

That was when Thornado dove out of the sky; with Stoick on his back, and Hiccup could not remember the last time he'd seen his father as angry as he looked at that moment. Thornado let out a powerful gust of wind, and the mass of Speed- Stingers was sent flying. He landed; Stoick dismounted, and walked directly towards the caged Speed- Stinger.

"Dad: You're ok!" The relief in Hiccup's voice was evident.

"Well; you didn't think I'd let you have all the fun, now, did you?" Stoick asked, before he turned his attention to the Speed- Stinger, " _Remember me?_ "

The Speed- Stinger trilled a reply, and Hiccup and Toothless, both of whom could understand it, winced. "Yes," Hiccup said, firmly. "He remembers you."

' **And, considering where he just told you to stick the blade of your sword, not in a good way.'** Toothless commented.

Realizing that there was dragon– human interpreters on- hand, the lead- Stinger added several more lines to the first.

' **I'm… thinking we shouldn't translate that last bit,'** Toothless said, mildly.

"I know I'm not," Hiccup replied, emphatically. "I just learned a few new swear- words from that guy… and I thought I'd heard most of them."

Stoick got the idea, "Now get him off my island."

Hiccup smiled, and nodded to Astrid, "You heard the chief!"

Astrid grinned, "With pleasure!" With that, Stormfly lifted the cage into the air, and set off in the direction of the ice- bridge.

Seeing their 'chief' being carried off, the Speed- Stinger pack made to follow from the ground. Hiccup and Toothless also rose into the sky, and they were promptly joined by six more of Toothless's kin: As they flew, a short ways behind Astrid, Toothless and his clan- mates took turns shooting plasma- blasts at the Speed- Stingers nearest to the cage.

Astrid and Stormfly flew the cage a half- mile down the ice- bridge, and then she had Stormfly release it.

As the cage dropped to the ground, where it shattered on impact; Stormfly looped back, and helped the Night- Furies destroy a sixty- foot wide section of the ice- bridge: just behind the last of the Speed- Stingers.

Once the Speed- Stinger chief had reorganized his pack; he glared back at Berk riders and their dragons, and the gap in the ice- bridge that separated them.

Then it turned and roared something to its followers, and they set off in the only direction they could go… the direction from which they had come to Berk: Home.

With evident relief, the riders and dragons returned to the cove, to tell the rest of their tribe that the danger was passed.

 _The following day,_

The villagers spent much of the following morning repairing the damage that the Speed- Stingers had done; and making plans to replenish the stores of food that had been taken. More than anything, the inhabitants of Berk were glad to have the ordeal behind them, and to know that Berk was once again their own; as it was meant to be.

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Eel Effect**

 **Part One – Eel Pox**

 _Two weeks later_ ,

Hiccup had just reached the top of the steps to the Great Hall, and pushed open the doors to get a look inside.

It was pretty much what he'd expected: Berk was in the middle of a spreading case of eel- pox, and those who'd already caught the bug had gathered in the Great Hall; in an effort to keep it from spreading further. As a result, the hall was emptier than usual, and pretty much everyone in there was coughing, sneezing, and sat slumped on benches or on the floor.  
Needless to say, it was not a pretty sight.

"Hiccup," a voice called. Turning, Hiccup saw Fishlegs; sitting on Meatlug's back. "Astrid went to pick up Gothi; she'll meet us at the Academy."

"Oh, good." Hiccup closed the door to the hall, and remounted Toothless, who'd been standing nearby. "Alright, bud: Let's go."  
Once Hiccup was settled in his saddle, Toothless took to the skies.

 _The Dragon Academy; a few minutes later_ ,

"Ready, gang?" Hiccup asked, as Toothless set- down on the arena floor.

"Hmmm… Ready to leave Berk during an outbreak of eel- pox," Snotlout mused. "I'd say that's a big fat 'yes'."

"And the sooner the better," Tuffnut agreed. "I _do_ _not_ want to get sick."

"And if he gets sick, I get sick," Ruffnut added, gesturing to Tuffnut as she spoke.

"You do?" Tuffnut asked, suddenly interested.

"Yeah: We're twins."

"So… If I slap myself, would you feel it?"

"Definitely," Ruff said, smirking. "Give it a try!" Tuff did, and Ruff said "OW"; before telling her brother to do it again. This continued until Tuff finally fell to the arena floor; dazed.

This was about when Stoick entered the arena. Seeing his father, Hiccup immediately made his way forwards, "Dad? You should be resting, up at the Great Hall."

"Nonsense," Stoick said, an instant before he sneezed on Snotlout. "I can't be grounded by the sniffles!" He sneezed again, then; only this time on Hiccup, who'd just reached him.

Stormfly swooped into the arena an instant later, Astrid and Gothi on her back. "We've got the list of ingredients; and it's a big one." As she spoke; Gothi held up a scroll, allowing it to unroll to show the list.

"Well, then we'd better get moving: That medicine isn't going to make itself." Hiccup said, turning towards Toothless; who was also moving to join him, as he spoke.

"I should be going with you," Stoick managed to say, before he sneezed again.

Hiccup ducked behind his shield to avoid the sneeze, and then said, "Dad, Berk needs a healthy chief; not a sick dragon- rider." He paused to double- check the straps on Toothless's saddle, and added, "We can handle this."

Reluctantly, Stoick agreed, "Alright; I'll stay here with the rest of the village." As Toothless moved past, with Hiccup on his back, Stoick added, "Be safe; Hiccup."

"When am I not safe?" Hiccup asked. He thought for a moment, then added, "Uh… Don't answer that!" Then Toothless joined the other dragons and riders – who were already in the air, and they set off.

 **Part Two – Healers' Island**

 _Three hours later,_

They reached the Healers' Island close to three hours after they'd left Berk. Once they had, the riders dismounted from their dragons, and gathered around Hiccup.

"Ok, gang: We've got a lot of ground to cover," Hiccup said, holding the scroll out so that all of them could read it. "Let's get to work."

 _A short time later_ ,

An hour after they'd arrived, they regrouped on the beach where they'd first set- down.

"I think that's everything," Hiccup commented, as he added the last of the ingredients they'd collected to the satchel on Toothless's back. He turned to Gothi, "Right?"

The mute healer shook her head 'no', and began to draw in the sand with the end of her staff. Fishlegs walked over to her, and examined the symbols as she drew them.

"She says the last item isn't on Healers' Island…" Fishlegs paused, as Gothi continued to draw, "The key- ingredient for curing eel- pox is… A Blood-bane Eel."

Fishlegs turned back to Gothi, "Where do we find one of those?"

Gothi continued drawing in the sand. A moment later, Fishlegs said, "She says we have to fly north to…" He gasped, "Eel Island."

Astrid, who'd remounted Stormfly, dropped back to the ground, "Our dragons would never go _near_ Eel Island: They're terrified of eels!" A shudder passed through Stormfly, then, and Astrid gave her Nadder a reassuring pat.

"I know," Hiccup agreed. "Toothless and I will go alone."

' **Wait… We'll do** _ **what**_ **?'** Toothless asked, whipping his head around; his eyes wide.

"I know, bud: Eels aren't your favourite, but you're the fastest dragon." Hiccup picked up his shield, and turned to the others, "We'll find this eel, and be back to Berk in no time."

Without another word, Hiccup jumped onto Toothless's back, and the black dragon launched itself into the sky.

"Good luck!" Fishlegs called after them, as they shot off into the distance.

Astrid hurried after them, stopping at the edge of the beach, "Wait, Hiccup! You've got all the other…" By then, Hiccup and Toothless were out of hearing distance. "Ingredients."

Astrid sighed, worried despite herself: she knew that Hiccup wasn't helpless, and he had Toothless with him, but still…

"Don't worry," Fishlegs said, joining her where she stood, at the edge of the beach. "They'll be back before we are."

 **Part Three – Eel Island**

 _Forty- five minutes later_ ,

If they had all gone to Eel Island, it would have taken close to an hour and a half for them to reach their destination. Toothless was able to cross the intervening distance in a little over a half- hour.

When the island first came into view, Hiccup double- checked his map, and said, "That's it: Eel Island… Lets get a closer look, bud."

Hiccup could tell that Toothless didn't like the idea, but the black dragon angled downwards, as the island below them drew steadily nearer.

 _A few minutes later_ ,

A few minutes after the island had first come into view, it was beneath them. With evident reluctance, Toothless had dropped until he flew a mere twenty feet above a river that flowed across the island.

Only a few minutes later, they saw their first eels: leaping out and back into the water below them.

"Wow, eels: That was quick," Hiccup commented. "This place sure lives up to its name." Toothless growled, and Hiccup could see the dragon's muscles tense. Cautiously, Hiccup unslung his shield, and pushed one of the levers: the grappling line shot into the water… "Now: I just need to hook one!"

Suddenly there was a yank on the cord: Instinctively, Hiccup yanked back on the shield. An instant later, an eel had been yanked out of the river, and into Toothless's mouth.

The black- dragon jerked back in surprise, spat out the eel, and, without intending to, threw Hiccup from his saddle. With a splash, Hiccup fell into the eel- infested waters below.

Toothless heard the splash, and immediately dropped to the bank; frantically searching for his human- friend: He saw him a second later; surrounded by eels.

He launched a plasma- bolt into the water, forcing all but one of the eels; which Hiccup had by the neck, to keep it from biting him, to retreat to safer waters.

Toothless steeled his nerves, and jumped in: He was at Hiccup's side in an instant, and, without pausing to consider what he was about to do, he bit and swallowed. He then grabbed Hiccup by the back of his vest, and shot for the surface.

Toothless landed on the bank a moment later, coughed, and let- out a weird sound unlike any that Hiccup had heard him make before.

"Are you ok?" Hiccup asked, getting to his feet. "Most dragons never even touch eels; you just _ate_ one!"

' **I don't feel so good** _ **,**_ **'** Toothless admitted. **'Dizzy… Eyes can't focus properly** _ **…**_ **'** When Hiccup tried to come closer, Toothless growled. **'I think I'm going to** _ **…**_ **'** Toothless stopped speaking, spun on the spot, and charged off.

"Toothless… Bud! Come back!" Hiccup snatched up his shield, and took off after his dragon.

 _Meanwhile, back on Berk_ ,

Astrid, Stormfly, and the others had just landed at the entrance of the Great Hall, when the doors opened, and Stoick emerged. The moment the chief saw them, he said, "Do you have the ingredients?"

It was Fishlegs who answered, "Uh… Hiccup has them."

"Well, where is he?" Stoick pressed.

Astrid's heart felt like it had frozen: Hiccup and Toothless weren't back yet. With an effort, she managed to say, "I don't know… He should be here: He went off to get the last ingredient."

Stoick coughed, then managed to say, "We have to find him… We won't be able to stand this eel- pox much longer; the fever: It makes it hard to think straight."

Someone else tried to exit the hall, and they caught a brief glimpse of Gobber, before Stoick forced him back inside, and closed the doors behind him. Turning to the others, Stoick added, "Gobber… Gobber thinks he's his own Great- Aunt Rose; and he's looking for himself. Or… he thinks he's her looking for himself," Stoick paused to rub his temples.

"We'll find him, Hiccup, sir; I promise," Astrid said, already turning Stormfly around. She couldn't care less about the ingredients right now, but Hiccup…  
' _He's ok,_ ' Astrid said to herself, as the riders and dragons rose into the sky. ' _He has to be.'_ Astrid didn't knew what she'd do if something happened to him.

Stormfly seemed to sense Astrid's concern: 'Speaking' so that only her rider could hear, the Deadly Nadder said, **'Hiccup is unharmed, Astrid; his connection to dragon- kind is such that we dragons; or the five of us, at least; would know if he were hurt** _ **.'**_

Stormfly felt Astrid relax, slightly, and a grateful pat on her neck, as they began their search.

 _Back on Eel Island_ ,

If it hadn't been for his enhanced strength, speed, and instincts, Hiccup would have long- since lost- sight of Toothless.  
Something was clearly wrong with Toothless's vision: He kept running into trees, and – even when he was able to steer around them, in was in a crude imitation of his usual smooth and practiced movements.  
Then there was the plasma- bolts: Instead of their usual blue color, these were a fiery red, and Toothless seemed to have next- to- no control over them.

The first time Toothless launched one of the reddish bolts, it struck a patch of stone almost forty feet away from where Hiccup stood – and he still had to duck behind his shield, to avoid the chunks of rock that were blasted into the air…

When the last of the debris had settled, Hiccup said, "Ok: That was big, and extremely dangerous… No wonder you guys go easy on the eels."

Soon after Toothless had eaten the eel, it occurred to Hiccup that this might be the 'dragon- version' of eel- pox. (It hadn't been easy, but Hiccup had been able to back this up from bits of information he was able to retrieve through his and Toothless's bond.)

Initially, Hiccup's plan had been to wait until Toothless had reached his shot- limit, and then grab the satchel with the cure supplies.

However, once Toothless had launched his _tenth_ plasma- blast, Hiccup decided that he 'might' need to take a more direct approach…

"Sorry about this, bud," Hiccup said, and, doing as he had only once before; he entered the Dragon Trance. **"** _ **Toothless: Freeze."**_

The black- dragon immediately stopped flailing around. Hiccup immediately rushed over to the satchel with the ingredients for the eel- pox cure, and got to work; using only enough of the supplies for two doses of eel- pox medicine. He'd initially planned to make only one, and make the rest when they returned to Berk, but he got the feeling he'd want to have an extra dose ready to go.

He worked as quickly as he could without making mistakes: It had been hours since he and Toothless had arrived on Eel Island, and he knew the others would be searching for them.

 _Back on Berk_ ,

Having spent the better part of three hours retracing their route, and getting as close to Eel Island as Stormfly could manage, Astrid and Stormfly had returned to Berk.

Having found no sign of either Hiccup or Toothless, Astrid was beginning to think – or, rather, hope – that they'd missed him; and that he'd returned to Berk while they were gone.

That hope died before Stormfly's claws touched the ground: The other riders and their dragons were gathered in front of one of the houses; with the exception of Snotlout, who was giving some kind of speech to a crowd of dragons – at the foot of the staircase that lead to the Great Hall. (Snotlout's speech was 'garbled' at best, and the dragons watching appeared to be more amused by Snotlout's performance than anything.)

"Oh, no…" Astrid said, as Stormfly landed near the others. "Hiccup's not back, yet?"

"Are you sure?" Tuffnut asked, shivering as he spoke. "Because I could really use some of that," Tuffnut coughed several times, sneezed twice, and finally finished, "medicine."

Astrid took a closer look at the other riders, and her heart sank: Fishlegs was sneezing almost continuously, the same held true with Ruff and Tuff, and Snotlout would be even more useless than usual; which, Astrid thought, was saying something.

Astrid knew, just by looking at them, that it was too dangerous for any of them to try to go back out to search…

Astrid glanced at Stormfly, and then at the others, "I'm going back… ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!" She tried again, "I'm going…" She coughed, and sneezed again.

' **Astrid: You're tired and you're sick: You need to rest.'** Stormfly told her. When Astrid tried to argue, Stormfly overrode her. **'You won't do Hiccup any good by continuing to push yourself.'** Astrid hated to admit it, but she knew that Stormfly was right.

Over the course of the next hour, the other riders and their dragons made their way to the Great Hall, to join the other villagers.

Astrid and Stormfly, however, remained outside: Going in felt too much like giving up, and that they refused to do.

 _Inside the Great Hall_ ,

As more and more people were reaching the 'delusional' stage of eel- pox, the Great Hall was becoming more chaotic with every passing minute.

That is… until the twins reached the same stage, and began acting in a way that was so out of character, it made everyone else in the hall give an extra thought to what they were doing, or thinking about doing.

Tuff stood atop 'his' head of the Twins' Zippleback: a rock in one hand, and a feather in the other, "One… Two… Three!"

At 'three', Tuffnut let go of the rock and the feather: The rock clattered to the floor at once, while the feather slowly drifted to the floor.

"How fascinating!" Ruffnut, who was standing on the floor in front of them; to observe the results, remarked.

"Oh, dear sister," Tuffnut said, as he stepped down from the dragons' head he'd been standing on. "Our hypothesis appears to be correct: The air offers a much greater resistance to the falling motion of the feather, than it does to the rock!"

"Remarkable!" Ruffnut said. "Shall we increase our sample- size, what say you?"

"We shall!" Tuffnut agreed.

"I propose we try dropping a large yak, alongside a normal- sized dragon rider."

"Oh, my sister; that is brilliant!" Tuffnut declared. "And I am a normal- sized dragon- rider! What luck!"

Ruffnut grinned, "Ah: I'm off to find a suitable yak!"

The brother and sister high- fived, said the word "Science!" in unison, and went about their 'business'.

The silence in the hall lasted for perhaps thirty seconds before people resumed their previous activities. Even then, more than a few people decided to put- off some of the more… 'Serious' decisions until a time when their minds were 'a little' clearer.

 **Part Four – The Cure**

When Hiccup finally poured the first of his two doses of eel- pox medicine down Toothless's throat, the affect was almost immediate: Toothless unfroze, leapt on top of Hiccup, and regurgitated the mouthful of eel he'd swallowed without meaning to.

Once it was out, Toothless shook himself, and – an instant later, it was as though nothing had ever happened: Toothless was himself again.

"Ah," Hiccup said, as he saw Toothless relax, "There's the Toothless I know! … Sorry about the whole 'freeze'- thing."

' **Thanks for getting the eel out… blah; I hate those things!'** Toothless replied, shaking himself again, as he spoke.

"We should get back to Berk," Hiccup said, gesturing at the sun – which was beginning to set. "We're… 'A little' overdue."

 _An hour later_ ,

As Hiccup and Toothless drew nearer to Berk, they saw a familiar blue dragon waiting near the base of the stairs to the Great Hall. On the dragons' back was a saddle, and in the saddle, shivering, noticeably, sat Astrid.

Once they were within hearing, Hiccup said, "You should be indoors, young lady: You'll catch your death of cold, in this weather."

Astrid spun around in her saddle, "Hiccup! You're ok!"

"Yeah, we both are," Hiccup agreed, as Toothless landed next to Stormfly.

As the two riders dismounted, Astrid coughed then sneezed twice.

Hiccup pulled out the jar with the second helping of medicine, "Here, drink this; you'll…"

Before Hiccup could finish his sentence, Astrid had unsealed the jar, and downed the contents. Her case of eel- pox was still in the early- stages, so it wasn't long before her symptoms broke. "Thanks," Astrid said, smiling at Hiccup. "Now: What took you so long?"

Hiccup smiled at Toothless, who rolled his eyes. Then Hiccup turned to Astrid, "We'll tell you about it while we work on the medicine… Did anything interesting happen while we were gone?"

Astrid smiled; her world was right again, "Oh, today was 'interesting'… We'll tell you about it _after_ you've told your story: and it had better be good; I've been worried sick."

Hiccup laughed at that, and, seeing the humour in what she'd just said, Astrid also chuckled, as they and their dragons made their way up the steps to the Great Hall.

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Smoke In The Night**

 **Part One – Trader Johann**

 _Midmorning; Three weeks later,_

Three weeks after the inhabitants of Berk overcame the recent bout of eel- pox, Trader Johann made his next visit to the island.

As always, a crowd had gathered on the docks, waiting for him. Everyone was excited, but none more so than…

"Trader Johann's here! Trader Johann's here!" Even as Fishlegs spoke, Trader Johann lowered the boarding- ramp into place, and Fishlegs was hurried across.

Others made to follow, though they did a better job of controlling their excitement.

Snotlout, however, made no move to join them, "Johann, shmo-hann, that guy never lets me touch any of his cool stuff!"

Hiccup glanced back, "Well; that's because the last time he was here, you broke half of it."

"It's my word against his!" Snotlout protested.

Astrid, who'd been waiting with Hiccup, rolled her eyes; and followed Hiccup aboard Johann's ship.

As they did, Trader Johann raised an arm, and; gesturing as he spoke, said, "Ah, Berk: The crown jewel of the entire Archipelagos!"

Still grumbling, Snotlout followed the others aboard.

By the time Snotlout arrived on deck, Fishlegs had asked what Trader Johann had brought, and the latter was answering, "Many wondrous things, Mr. Fishlegs; Treasures from every coast," He produced a pair of pearl earrings, and continued, "Like the Pearls of Din- Jah; perfect for that special- lady in your life!"

As he said this, Snotlout swaggered over to Astrid, "You know, those could be yours, Astrid; just say the word, and…"

Astrid rolled her eyes, said "yuck," and took several steps away from Snotlout.

"That's not the word!" Snotlout called after her.

Astrid's attention was focused elsewhere, however: As she was turning away from Snotlout, she 'happened' to glance at Hiccup. Somewhat to her surprise, he met her gaze: He gave a slight nod towards the pearls Johann was holding, then raised an eyebrow at her and shrugged; the motion was subtle, but his message was clear. Astrid shot Hiccup a warm smile, and shook her head slightly: She wasn't really one for wearing jewellery; as Hiccup already knew, though she did appreciate the offer. Hiccup grinned back, unsurprised, and they continued to examine the items on display.

A few minutes later, Tuffnut said, "Wow: It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" He was staring at a gleaming mace. He rushed over and picked it up, "Hey, mace; you want to come home with me, don't you?"

Speaking in a higher voice, Tuff 'answered' for the mace, and continued a back- and- forth 'conversation' with the weapon, which he was already beginning to call 'Macy'.

Every time he 'spoke for' the mace, he used a higher- pitched voice.

This went on for several minutes; during which Johann and Gobber were arranging a trade for a large pile of scrap- metal that had caught the smith's eye.

Once they'd reached an agreement, and Gobber was making arrangements to have the metal transported to his forge, Johann noticed Tuff and the mace.

For almost thirty seconds, Johann stood there, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Finally, he moved forward; insisting that Tuff either offer a reasonable trade, or put the mace back.

 _Later,_

Once everyone had finished their business, Johann locked away his more valuable goods, and accompanied several other Vikings; who'd been asking to hear some of the stories of his exploits, to the Great Hall.

Hiccup, who had heard more than enough of Johann's stories, returned to the Dragon Academy; accompanied by the other riders and their dragons.

Johann would be spending "a day or two" on Berk, having just completed one of the longer stretches of his route; and would continue on his way once he'd regained his strength.

 _That night_ ,

That night, well after the Vikings and the 'local' dragons had turned- in for the night, clouds of fog flowed out of Gobber's forge; where the scrap- metal that Gobber had purchased had been stored.

Of course: No one was awake to know where it had come from – or that it had appeared at all; but they did notice something else, when they awoke the following morning.

 **Part Two – Metal- Thief; Metal-** _ **Thieves**_

 _The following morning_ ,

Hiccup and Toothless had slept soundly, and – on waking, nothing had seemed unusual. Well… except for the apparent disappearance of a few household objects.

Hiccup had shrugged them off, figuring that ' _They'll turn- up sooner or later_.'

Once he and Toothless had gone outside, however, Hiccup could tell that the problem was more… 'Widespread' than he'd first thought.

"I had those ladles when I went to sleep and now they're gone," one woman was saying.

"And my grandmother's goblets: Gone!" said the man she'd been talking to.

"Ok… What did we just walk into?" Hiccup asked, speaking to no one in particular.

' **Do we really** _ **want**_ **to know?'** Toothless asked. **'This** _ **is**_ **Berk: You never know where a situation like this might end up leading** _ **.**_ **'**

Seeing Astrid, Stormfly, and the other riders and dragons, Hiccup and Toothless made their way towards them.

"What is going on, here?" Hiccup asked, when he and Toothless reached the place where the others had gathered.

"A bunch of stuff got stolen from the village last night," Snotlout explained, his tone making it clear that he couldn't care less.

"And some of us are taking it pretty hard," Astrid added, gesturing as she spoke.

Turning in the direction that Astrid had indicated, Hiccup saw Tuffnut: His 'Macy' had gone missing as well, and – as Astrid had said, Tuff wasn't taking it well.

"Macy… Macy: She's gone! NOOO!" When Tuff had pulled himself together – sort- of, he rounded on Ruffnut, "You: You were always jealous of her…"

"We have quite a situation on our hands," Stoick commented, once he'd made his way over to them. "Axes, shields, helmets, drinking goblets… All stolen!"

"Axes, shields, helmets and drinking goblets…" Hiccup's mind immediately went to work. "What do all of those things have in common?"

"Obviously, duh: They're all gone!" Snotlout said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "No… They're metal: Everything that's missing is metal."

"Hiccup; everything we own is metal," Astrid said.

"It's a theory; work with me," Hiccup said.

"Whatever's going on, I need to find out who's responsible before this panic gets any worse," Stoick continued.

A moment later, Gobber arrived on the scene, "Stoick! Bucket and Mulch are slapping each other with sturgeons!"

The others immediately turned to look in the direction that Gobber had come from, and – sure enough, there were Bucket and Mulch; each whacking at the other with a limp fish…

Stoick frowned, "Sturgeons? What happened to their bludgeons?"

"Stolen; hence the sturgeon," Gobber reported.

Stoick nodded, "In some ways I guess that's probably better."

Hiccup turned back to his father, "Uh, dad; what do you say you take care of the sturgeon- slapping while Astrid and I do a little investigating?"

Stoick nodded, and made his way towards Bucket and Mulch, while the others went back to what they'd been doing previously.

"Investigating?" Astrid asked, once she, Hiccup, and their dragons were alone. "What exactly are you planning, Hiccup?"

"To return to the scenes of the crimes and see if we can find out something about this metal- thief," Hiccup answered.

Astrid nodded, and they were about to set out, when Toothless said, **'I can't help but think this has something to do with the scrap- metal that Gobber bought from Trader Johann..** _ **.**_ **'** Surprised, Hiccup and Astrid turned to face the black dragon. Before they could speak, however, Toothless added, **'It smelled… familiar, but I can't recall where I may have encountered that scent before...'**

 _Shortly, in Gobber's forge_ ,

"Can you remember who's been here in the past couple of days?" Hiccup asked. He knew it was a long- shot, but they had to start somewhere.

"Hard to say; business has been booming!" Gobber commented. "There's only forty- one shopping- days left until Snoggletog, you know: Don't wait until the last minute!"

It was the answer he'd expected, so Hiccup turned his attention to the floor of the forge, "Hmmm, No footprints…"

"This metal- thief won't get the best of me!" Gobber boasted. "I set a booby- trap that's guaranteed to nab him!" As he spoke, he began to make his way towards the back room of his shop.

There was an audible click, and Gobber froze. There was a moment of silence, then, a little sheepishly, Gobber said, "It… would appear that I've trapped myself in my own 'booby'."

It took Hiccup almost five minutes to find and disarm the triggers of Gobber's booby- trap. It wasn't an overly complicated trap, but Hiccup decided to take the 'extra time' to make sure he got it right.

However, Hiccup did have to ask: "Isn't twelve loaded crossbows… 'A bit' much?" – Gobber merely shrugged, at this.

After all: Gobber had taught Hiccup a lot about smith- craft and leatherworking, and it seemed poor thanks to allow Gobber to be turned- into a human- pincushion; and besides: Gobber was a good friend of his father's.

Hiccup and Astrid spent the rest of the day visiting the other crime scenes, but their efforts got them no further ahead than their visit to Gobber's forge.

Finally, they decided to leave off where they were, and continue where they left- off the following morning.

 _Late that night_ ,

Perhaps two hours before sunrise, Hiccup awoke to a series of low thumping and rustling sounds emanating from the lower level of his house.

The noise had also woken Toothless, but, like Hiccup, he remained where he was: listening. They could hear Stoick's snoring; even from Hiccup's room, so they knew that it wasn't him.

A moment later, a familiar cloud of mist crept of the stairs that lead into Hiccup's room: The cloud of mist that the Smothering Smokebreaths used to hide themselves when they ventured forth to gather metal for their nests.

The column of smoke moved towards the foot of Hiccup's bed, where his shield lay. Hiccup leapt to his feet, **"Leave it, and be on your way."**

The cloud of mist drifted away, revealing four youngish Smokebreath dragons; all of which were staring at Hiccup in evident disbelief.

In an instant, Hiccup saw that one of the dragon- trespassers was clutching to familiar pieces of metal: the metal- plates that Astrid always wore on her shoulders.

Hiccup turned his full attention on the dragon that held them, and said, **"Drop them."**

The dragon growled – though its companions were already falling- back…

Hiccup repeated his order, **"** _ **Drop. Them.**_ **"**

The Smokebreath growled again, but it dropped Astrid's shoulder- pads, and shot after its fellows.

Toothless growled, **'I** _ **knew**_ **I recognized that scent!'**

 _The following morning,_

Armed with their new information, and aware that the Smokebreaths had raided Berk a second time, Hiccup and Toothless made a point of getting out early, the following morning.

They were not, however, the first to rise: Astrid was sitting, glumly, on a low stonewall; a short distance from Hiccup's house. Stormfly lay, curled- up, a few feet away.

Astrid's shoulders were, of course, bare; and her 'ever- present' axe was nowhere to be found. Her arms were clasped close to her chest, as though she were cold.

Astrid saw Hiccup and Toothless coming, and said, "That metal- thief got me, last night: My axe; my shoulder- pads... Gone." She shuddered; clearly disturbed by the idea of someone sneaking into her room while she slept.

"I know," Hiccup said, as he joined her. "They tried to get my shield last night, too; I can't help you with your axe – yet, but one of our 'uninvited guests' dropped these." As Hiccup spoke, he pulled Astrid's shoulder pads out of his satchel, and handed them to her.

For a moment, Astrid stared at her formerly- missing shoulder pads in stunned disbelief, than she gave Hiccup a hug that was only a few degrees short of bone- breaking.

She pulled back a minute later, grinning, "Thanks, Hiccup… Were you able to get a look at the thief?"

Hiccup nodded, "Our 'metal- thieves' are a bunch of adolescent Smothering- Smokebreath dragons: They must be stealing metal to build a nest."

Astrid's eyes widened, "So what do we do?"

"First things first," Hiccup replied. "We find out what else is missing, and what we've got left. Then we tell the others about the Smokebreaths, and go from there."

 _Not long afterwards_ ,

The streets of Berk were soon full of Vikings bemoaning their most recent losses. Among them were Fishlegs and Snotlout – both of whom had lost their helmets, and weapons- of- choice.

Astrid had formally added her axe to the list of missing objects, but – at Hiccup's suggestion, claimed that she'd hidden her shoulder pads, and the thief had missed them.

As Hiccup had said, "this way, we won't have people asking us why we can't find all of their missing items: we can focus on dealing with the Smothering Smokebreaths."

When the majority of Berk was gathered in the streets, Hiccup announced that he had discovered that their 'metal- thieves' were, in fact, Smothering Smokebreath dragons.

"Of course!" Fishlegs said, on hearing the news. After a moments thought, he asked, "But… Smothering Smokebreaths don't normally stray far from their home on Breakneck Bog… What are they doing here? … And how did they get here?"

Hiccup gestured to his father, the other riders and their dragons, and Trader Johann. The lot of them moved a little ways away from the largest clusters of villagers.

Only then did Hiccup speak, "The Smothering Smokebreath were brought here: They were in the scrap- metal that Gobber bought from Trader Johann."

Everyone immediately turned to face Trader Johann, "That's… That's impossible! I've not gone anywhere near Breakneck Bog since my boat was blown ashore: One trip to that island is one more than I've ever wanted!"

Hiccup turned his attention to Trader Johann, "Then where did you get all of that scrap- metal that you sold to Gobber?"

Johann fidgeted, slightly, "Unfortunately, old friend, I can't possibly reveal my sources."

Stoick took a single step towards the trader, and Johann quickly decided that a change- of- policy was an order… "Of course, there are times when it's best to share: I procured it from a Berserker who was offering it at a price I could not refuse."

Without a word of explanation, Stoick ordered the villagers to take stock of what metal remained to them. "Once we know what we've got to work with, we'll know where we stand."

 _An hour after noon_ ,

Even before they received the results of the inventory, Stoick, Hiccup, and the other riders and dragons knew they were in serious trouble.

As they made their way through town; a wagon, filled with apples; fell apart as pressure was applied to the wooden beams that had once been nailed together.

Another man bent to pick up a bucket of water, only to have the handle come off in his hand.

Near by, a third man sat on a bench; only to fall flat on his back when the bench collapsed into the individual pieces of lumber that; like the beams of the wagon, had once been nailed together.

The people of Berk knew they were not defenseless; they had their dragons – and an entire colony of Night- Furies, but there was a growing sense of unease in the village at the idea of just how vulnerable _they themselves_ now were…

And this was with the Berserkers' involvement in their current predicament being kept on a need- to- know- only basis.

"Gobber; what's the latest?" Stoick asked, as the smith joined them.

Gobber's expression was grim, "Just as I'd feared, Stoick: Almost no metal left in all of Berk."

Stoick's eyes widened, "What of the Armoury?"

"Lets just say the axe- _handles_ far outnumber the axes," Gobber replied. "Oh, and then there's this." Gobber walked up to a near- by catapult, and tapped it with his hook: the wooden beams shuddered, and then the catapult collapsed.

"Without weapons, Berk is vulnerable." Stoick commented, gravely.

"Not quite," Hiccup said. "We've got the dragons, and The Night- Furies."

Stoick nodded, "Even so: if Dagur attacks, _we_ won't be able to fight them off without weapons."

 _Twenty minutes later; the Dragon Academy_ ,

Hiccup was pacing, "We have to find that missing metal…"

"Maybe… the Smokebreaths took the metal back to Breakneck Bog?" Astrid suggested.

"Uh… I don't think so," Fishlegs interjected, who sat reading the Book of Dragons as he spoke. "Smokebreaths can't fly long distances carrying a lot of weight."

"Hey, Snotlout," Ruffnut spoke up, "How did you get your helmet back?"

Snotlout, who appeared to be wearing his usual helmet, snorted; "Heh- Heh; it's my spare: A _real warrior_ is never without his helmet."

Astrid snorted, "Wish I could say the same thing for his brain."

An instant later, Stormfly had launched a spike that sent Snotlout's helmet flying across the arena. Speaking so that only Astrid, Hiccup, and Toothless could hear, Stormfly 'said', **'** _ **Now his helmet does him as much good as his brain has; assuming he had a brain, to begin with."**_

"What is it with you today?" Snotlout demanded; responding to the only part of the exchange he was aware of.

Barely suppressing a laugh, Hiccup said, "Snotlout, come on; focus." Snotlout shot Stormfly a dirty look, which she 'responded to' by shooting another spike perhaps a foot above and in front of Snotlout's head.

Hiccup, meanwhile, had resumed pacing; though Astrid and Stormfly both saw the corner of his mouth twitch, in a brief smile, "If the Smokebreaths didn't take the metal back to Breakneck Bog, than they must have started to build a nest somewhere here on Berk."

"But how are we supposed to find it?" Fishlegs asked, uncertainly.

"I think we can narrow it down a bit," Hiccup said, a gleam in his eyes. "The Night- Furies hunt at night, and they keep watch over the shores of Berk: If it was within easy sight of the coast, they'd have noticed something… It's hard to see a Night- Fury at night, and harder to hide from something when you're not even sure where it is."

Toothless nodded, **'And a number of my clan- mates have favourite fishing- spots on some of Berks inland- lakes: The largest area that doesn't fall into either of these categories is a five square- mile area of forest to the west of the village… If we start now, the five of us should be able to cover all of it well before nightfall** _ **.**_ **'**

 _Two hours later_ ,

It was Hiccup and Toothless who finally found the nest; which was being… 'Forged' into the top of a cluster of gnarled pine trees.

Viking and Night- Fury had landed beneath the trees, and were gazing up at the nest; even from where they stood, they could see the outlines of several of the missing family- heirlooms.

Perhaps five minutes after they'd landed, they heard another pair of wing-beats drawing nearer: Hiccup hurriedly clambered back onto Toothless's back, and the black dragon returned to the sky.

It was Astrid and Stormfly: Hiccup started to tell them that they'd found the Smokebreaths' nest, but Astrid overrode him, "We don't have time for that now: We just spotted something on the horizon… Something that may be a _bigger problem_ than the Smokebreaths!"

Without another word, Toothless and Stormfly shot into the sky, angling toward the village.

 **Part Three – The Smokebreaths: An Unreliable Weapon**

Even from the cliff top, they couldn't tell exactly how many boats Dagur had brought with him: It was not, thankfully, the entire Berserkers' Armada, but neither was it a force to be underestimated.

Hiccup and Astrid watched the fleet for several minutes; and then they remounted their dragons, and returned to the village, to re-join the others. By the time they arrived, Hiccup's plan was fully- formed, in his head.

When they told Stoick and the other villagers what they'd seen, Stoick turned to Hiccup, "You've found the Smokebreath Nest: you and the other riders go to it and get our weapons!"

"They'll be protecting it by now," Hiccup told them. "We don't have time to fight the Smokebreaths and get back here before Dagur attacks… Besides, I have _something else_ in mind for Dagur."

Stoick saw the gleam in his son's eyes, "Go on."

"We gather whatever metal we have left, and fly it over the Smokebreaths' nest: We use it to lure them out to Dagur's fleet. Once there, the Smokebreaths will do the same thing to The Berserkers as they did to us; but," Hiccup paused to pick up a rock: He tossed it into the air, and caught it in palm, "With the Berserkers at sea, once all of the metal on their boats is gone…" Hiccup tossed the stone over his shoulder; at an intact catapult: The moment the stone connected, the catapult shuddered and collapsed. "The Berserkers will have … 'more important things' to worry about than attacking us."

For almost a full minute, the assembled Vikings stood, silent and unmoving.

Stoick was the first to unfreeze, "Well? You heard my son!" Immediately, the others began rushing around; gathering what metal remained on Berk.

 _Half an hour later,_

Stoick, Gobber, and several dozen other men were gathered at the beach where the Berserker fleet would most likely attempt to make landfall.

They had armed themselves with lengths of wood, crude clubs, really; and hammers that were merely stones tied to short lengths of wood.

It would not, they knew, hold- up long in open- battle; but all they needed to do, hopefully, was hold the Berserkers back long enough for Hiccup and their riders and dragons to put Hiccup's plan into action.

Turning to those behind him, Stoick said, "This is it: Whatever happens, we battle to the…"

"Stoick; look!" Gobber interrupted, pointing upwards.

Everyone turned their attention skywards just in time to see the last of 'their' dragons and riders clearing the cliff-top behind them; followed closely by the bank of fog they knew concealed the Smothering Smokebreath dragons.

"It's working!" For a moment, Stoick wasn't sure who'd spoken; only after Gobber turned to him and nodded did he realize that the words were his own.

A few minutes later, Hiccup's voice drifted back to them, from across the water, " _Metal away!_ " – A moment later, the cloud of fog descended over the Berserkers' Fleet.

Then Dagur's voice drifted to their ears, "A… spoon? _They're dropping spoons? Why are they dropping spoons? What does this mean? … Could it be a 'spoon of surrender'?"_

Then Savage's voice, " _I… don't think so._ "

Then came a confused mix of shouting: the sounds of an enemy army descending into chaos; losing every semblance of order and discipline. Then they heard Dagur's voice again, " _Oh, No… NO! NO! NO!_ "

Then the cloud lifted away from Dagur's fleet; as the Smothering Smokebreath dragons made to return to their nest – laden with the plunder from their most recent raid.

As they rose into the sky, the shapes of Dagur's boats again became visible; and they were still afloat.

Then they heard Hiccup's voice, closer; now, since the dragons and their riders had begun to circle back to Berk: " _Wait for it…_ "

Then the figureheads of the two nearest boats fell forwards, crashing into the sea; then the first of the masts toppled, and deck boards parted.

In a matter of minutes, the last of the ships that made- up Dagur's invasion fleet vanished beneath the waves. Then the Berserkers bobbed to the surface; clutching barrels, boards, and anything else that would float. Bits of armour clung to some of the men, though none of them held weapons.

On one cluster of boards, sat Dagur: he still wore his helmet and armour, and he gripped a sword in his left hand. Waving the weapon over his head, Dagur shouted, " _THIS ISN'T OVER, HICCUP! YOU HEAR ME? YOU WILL KISS THIS BOOT…_ "

At that precise moment, three of the Smokebreaths shot out of nowhere: The first snatched Dagur's helmet and sword; the second snatched the metal plates off both of Dagur's knees, and the third snatched the metal plate – depicting the Berserkers' Crest, off of Dagur's right shoulder.

Dagur crossed his arms, sullenly, as his cluster of boards drifted slowly away from Berk. Then, almost too faintly to hear; came the words, " _You will kiss this boot._ "

Stoick dropped his tree- branch club, and roared with laughter; by the time the riders and their dragons returned, those who'd been watching from the beach were laughing so hard they could barely breath.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Bing! Bang! Boom!**

 **Part One – The Thunder- Ear**

 _A few hours after noon, a week after Dagur's most recent attack_ ,

Hiccup had just finished adding the final- touches on his most recent project: A large metal contraption, which stood atop a wooden platform; the purpose of which he had yet to disclose – though several people had asked, as they passed the spot where Hiccup worked. The 'mystery- project' didn't look like anything special: A hollow metal shell; with a wide opening at one end, and that gradually tapered down to a small opening – large enough to peer through, at the other.  
At one time, the sight of Hiccup working on another of his projects would've attracted scorn and jeering from the other villagers… But that was then.

"There: That should do it," Hiccup commented, as he lifted the 'mouth' of the tube a little higher, and adjusting the stand; to keep it at that height.  
Once he'd finished, he turned to Toothless; who was laying in the grass, nearby; and asked, "So: what do you think, bud?"

Toothless raised his head, and considered the device for a moment. His head tilted a little to one side, and he uttered a noncommittal warble.

Hiccup grinned, "Ah: reserving your opinion until you see it work, huh? I'm good with that."

"Hiccup? Are you up there?" A moment later, Stoick and Thornado had appeared from beyond the nearest ledge, and Hiccup's father had jumped down from his dragon's back. "Thornado and I were busy surveying the village when…" Stoick had spotted Hiccup's project; "What in the name of Thor is that contraption?"

"I call it: 'the Thunder- Ear', Hiccup said; as he made his way forward. "It can track dragon- sounds from miles away, and that – hopefully, includes 'our friend'; the Screaming- Death."

Hiccup paused for a moment; while Stoick took a closer look at the Thunder- Ear, then he added, "And, you're just in time to see me demonstrate."

"All right: demonstrate away," As he spoke, Stoick took a step back: to give Hiccup room to work.

"Put your ear up to this," Hiccup said, gesturing to the earpiece at the end furthest from the ocean. Once Stoick had, Hiccup turned and nodded to Toothless, who shot a plasma- blast into the sky above them.

 _Two miles off the coast of Berk_ ,

Fishlegs was the first to spot the flash of blue, as Toothless's plasma- blast reached the limit of its range…

"Oh, there's the signal, girl: Do you remember the song? – Oh, what am I talking about: of course you do… ' _Well, I've got my axe and I've got my mace, and I love my wife with the ugly face; I'm a Viking through and through_ …'"

As Fishlegs sang, Meatlug 'sang' along, in her 'native- tongue'.

What he'd heard seemed so unlikely, Stoick first thought that Hiccup had been playing some kind of joke, "Alright, Fishlegs: come out from wherever you're hiding." He chuckled, and turned to Hiccup, "Very funny, son: Joke's on the chief."

"Dad, it's not a joke: look," As he spoke, Hiccup handed his father one of his telescopes.

Stoick took the telescope, and pointed it out in the direction that the sounds had come from: Sure enough, Meatlug and Fishlegs were hovering several miles away from Berk… yet the sound of their 'singing' was as clear as though they'd been right there with them!

Stoick double- checked the Thunder- Ear, then turned back to his son, "I think we could use this to hear enemy ships approaching as well: That Thunder- Ear gets the Chief's Seal of … Hang on." Another noise reached his ear, and Stoick swivelled the Thunder- Ear in the new direction.

A moment later, Gobber's voice was emanating from the earpiece; and – as he was that much closer, it was loud enough for both Stoick and Hiccup to hear…

"… Stoick? Oh, he'd be lost without me: I'm his right- hook man, you might say; Of course he would never admit this… And if you repeat this, I'll deny I was ever here."

Whoever Gobber had been talking to said something in reply, but his voice was harder to make out.

Stoick straightened, " _'Right- hook man_ ', eh?"

' _ **Busted**_ **,'** Toothless said; amusement clear in his tone.

Before Hiccup or Stoick could reply, another sound lead Stoick to swivel the Thunder- Ear back out to sea. Stoick winced, and turned to Hiccup, "You can signal for Fishlegs and Meatlug to stop: I don't know who's a worse singer; the boy, or the dragon!"

Hiccup frowned: the Thunder- Ear wasn't aimed where it had been before, so it shouldn't have been picking- up Fishlegs and Meatlug's 'singing'…

Hiccup double- checked the Thunder- Ear, and he then turned to his father, "That's not Fishlegs…" Another wave of noise came through, and Hiccup added, "Or Meatlug."

Stoick frowned, "Well, if it's not them, then who – or what, is it?"

"Only one way to find out," Hiccup said, clambering onto Toothless's saddle as he spoke.

"My thoughts exactly," Stoick agreed, before whistling to Thornado. As the Thunderdrum reappeared, Stoick said, "Ah, would you look at that! I never get tired of seeing that magnificent beast make his entrance!"

 _A short time later_ ,

"I thought it was coming from somewhere around here," Hiccup said, as they would their way through a collection of sea- stacks.

An instant after he'd said the words, he heard the sounds again; only much closer, now…

Thornado must have recognized the sounds; because, without a word of warning, he dropping almost twenty feet in a steep dive…

"Whoa, Thornado!" Stoick exclaimed, pulling back on the reigns. "I'll do the steering, if you don't mind!"

' **Sorry** _ **,**_ **'** Thornado said; as he slowed his descent. **'But I'd recognize those sounds anywhere: They're** _ **…**_ **'** They rounded another sea- stack, and Thornado said, **'There** _ **!**_ **'**

Sure enough, on the top of the next sea- stack… were three baby Thunderdrums!

"Baby Thunderdrums!" Hiccup breathed. "But what are they doing all the way out here by themselves?"  
Even as he spoke, the young- dragons caught sight of them; and, perhaps most importantly, of Thornado. Immediately, they rose off of the sea stack, and shot towards them; darting through the air, and getting ' _a little_ ' too close for comfort.

"Watch it: I'm a Chief, you know!" Stoick warned, when one of the Thunderdrums shot within a few feet of where he sat.

"Dad, they're just kids: they're playing…" Hiccup began, when the other two Thunderdrums shot past him and Toothless, on their way to Thornado.

"Well, someone needs to tell them that playtime is over!" Stoick said, firmly.

Thornado apparently agreed with Stoick on this, because an instant later; he released a blast of air that sent the three young- dragons flying backwards.

"Apparently 'someone' just did," Hiccup commented.

Stoick chuckled, and gave his dragon a pat, "I taught him that!"

"Yeah; I _thought_ I recognized that roar," Hiccup commented to Toothless, as they flew. Toothless and Thornado snorted with amusement. Stoick rolled his eyes, but took the joke in good- humour.

The three Thunderdrums, who had settled back down of their sea- stack, were staring up at Thornado with what seemed to be a combination of respect and awe; which Thornado seemed to enjoy.

After a moment, Hiccup said, "You do have to admit that they're kind of…"

"Cute? Cuddly?" Stoick supplied.

"I was going to say 'cool'," Hiccup finished. "So, uh, dad…"

"Uh-uh-uh: I know what you're thinking, and you might as well forget it… We've got enough racket on Berk with those Twins!"

"I… I guess you're right," Hiccup sighed. "I just hope they'll be 'ok'."

"Of course they'll be ok… They're Thunderdrums, after all: Toughest dragon in the Archipelagos!" Toothless growled, and Stoick said, "That's right: I said it." With that, Stoick turned Thornado around, in preparation to return to Berk.

In a low voice, Hiccup said, "We've created a monster."

' **At least he's not trying to ride** _ **me**_ **anymore** _ **,'**_ Toothless commented; speaking so that only Hiccup would hear him. **'Earth- and- Sky: Your father is** _ **heavy!**_ **'**

With that, Toothless made to follow Stoick and Thornado, while Hiccup fought to hold- back his smile. (His father _was_ called ' _Stoick The Vast_ ' for a reason.)

 _That evening; back on Berk_ ,

Night had fallen by the time Toothless and Thornado arrived back on Berk.

A moment later, Gobber came into view; a set of panpipes in his hand, "Ah: Out for a little father- son flight, were we?"

"Actually, we were just testing the Thunder- Ear," Hiccup said, as he slid down from Toothless's saddle.

"'Thunder- Ear'; is that what you're calling it? … Catchy."

"Oh, I'm glad you like it; Gobber," Stoick said, as he came to join them. "Because you and the Thunder- Ear are on night- watch together; all night, as a matter of fact."

Gobber's eyes widened, and his face went slack. For a moment, he seemed unable to speak, and then he managed to say, "You know, I'd love to Stoick; really I would… but I'm performing my one- Viking spectacular at the Great Hall tonight. I'm closing with a rousing rendition of the Reindeer Waltz on the panpipes… It's sublime!"

"I'm afraid the village will have to do without your panpipes tonight, Gobber; because my ' _right- hook man_ ' will be doing his duty for his chief… The one who'd be ' _nothing without him'_!" Chuckling, Stoick turned around, and set off in the direction of the Great Hall.

Gobber's expression morphed from surprise to disbelief, and he seemed unable to form words. After a moment, Hiccup turned to the smith, and said, "Thunder- Ear… "

"I've got a _different_ name for it," Gobber said, scowling. Still muttering, he set of in the direction of the Thunder- Ear; where it stood on its platform.

Hiccup and Toothless, meanwhile, made their way up to the Great Hall.

 **Part Two – Unexpected Visitors**

 _The following morning_ ,

Hiccup and Toothless awoke, the following morning, to a loud crashing sound: which was never a good start to a day on Berk.  
The two of them rushed downstairs to find his father putting his helmet on, and snatching up his sword.

"What's going on?" Hiccup asked, as he bolted down the stairs; Toothless close behind him.

Stoick glanced up, "I was about to ask you the same thing."

The two of them rushed outside, took- in the scene, and Stoick groaned out loud: The baby Thunderdrums had, apparently, followed them back to Berk; and they were causing chaos everywhere they went.  
A sheep flew past them, a second later: carried by a blast of wind, unleashed by one of the baby Thunderdrums.

Stoick turned to Hiccup, "Still think they're 'cool'?"

Hiccup shrugged, "I'm… on the fence."

"Well, get off it and do something before we have to rebuild the entire village!" Stoick said, gesturing at the chaos before them, as he spoke.

Hiccup and Toothless were in the air mere seconds after Stoick finished his sentence. A moment later, Astrid and Stormfly had joined them…

"Should I even bother asking what's going on?" Astrid called, once they were close enough to be heard.

"Out- of- control baby Thunderdrums… Yep: that's what's going on," Hiccup called back; an instant before one of the three dragons shot in front of him – unleashing yet another blast of wind as it did.

"And I'm guessing you want them back under control."

"That would be preferred; yes," Hiccup confirmed. "Can you help me wrangle them into the Academy?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Astrid said. She shot Hiccup a grin, and then they and their dragons turned their attention to the chaotic young Thunderdrums.

 _Five minutes later_ ,

"Wow: They're slippery little guys!" Astrid commented.

"No kidding," Hiccup agreed.

"Wow: what are those things?" Ruffnut asked, from where she sat on her head of the Twins' Zippleback.

"They are loud and destructive dragons, and we have to stop them!" Hiccup called over his shoulder, as he, Astrid, and their dragons shot past.

"Au- contraire: We must own them!" Tuffnut said.

"Immediately," Ruffnut agreed.

This was when Snotlout and Hookfang joined in the 'effort': They chose a Thunderdrum, and trying to chase it down… but they didn't do any better than the others (– which… didn't really come as a surprise to anyone).

Finally, Stoick; who'd been watching from the ground, decided that enough was enough; "Huh… Do I have to do everything myself?" **{'Ahem,'** Thornado 'said'. **}**

Stoick rolled his eyes, "Fine: Do _we_ have to do everything _ourselves_?" **{'Thank you** _ **.**_ **'** }

Thornado rose into the air, and shot forwards to intercept the younger dragons. When they reached him, each of the baby dragons roared again; but Thornado's roar cancelled them out with ease.

Immediately, the young Thunderdrums dropped to the ground; gazing at Thornado with evident awe and respect…

Hiccup thought he saw Thornado's chest puff- out, a little, at this; but he wasn't sure.

"Well done, dad!" Hiccup said, as Toothless and the other dragons landed; a short distance behind the destructive- trio.

"Look at that: They're putty in Thornado's hands… claws!" Fishlegs commented; his eyes fixed on the suddenly- obedient Thunderdrums.

The Twins' Zippleback was the last to land, and Ruff and Tuff immediately zoomed- in on the baby dragons.  
"Ok: We'll take… that one!" Tuff said, immediately, pointing at one of the dragons.  
"No, that one!" Ruff chimed in.  
"I know: It's such a hard decision… Ok: We'll take the set!"

"QUIET!" Stoick said, before turning to his son, "Hiccup: I want you to get these trouble- makers off this island, now."

There was an almost- humorous moment when the Twins thought that Stoick meant them, but it didn't last long.

"Dad, don't you think we'd be better off training them?" Hiccup said. "I mean; think about it: They're fast, powerful…"

"… Destructive, loud, and out- of- control." Stoick finished.

"Chief, you're kind of making Hiccup's argument for him," Tuff commented.

"The lad's got a point, Stoick…" Gobber commented, as he joined them. "I mean: a squadron of Thunderdrums would be tough for Dagur and the Berserkers to defend against."

Stoick considered the idea, and then turned to Hiccup, "You really think you can get them under control, son?"

Hiccup nodded, "I'm sure of it: It won't be quite like training the other dragons; these guys are a lot younger, but we should be able to work something out."

"We can do it, chief," Fishlegs joined in. "Just let us try."

"Alright, fine," Stoick relented. "But at the first sign of trouble, they go: Thornado isn't their mother or a babysitter; he's got chiefly- duties, just like I do."

 _A short time later, in the Dragon Training Arena_ ,

With Thornado's help, it took only a few minutes to get the baby Thunderdrums into the Dragon Academy.

Once the older Thunderdrum had left, however, they were pretty much back to square- one: The Thuderdrums began chasing each other around the arena, and harrying the other dragons.

That is, until Hiccup grabbed several handfuls of dragon- nip out of one of the supply crates, and set it down on the arena floor.  
The young Thunderdrums wolfed down the snack, and – once full, staggered drowsily, and settled down contentedly.  
Once Hiccup could hear himself think, and the others would be able to hear him; Hiccup turned to the others and said, "I think the first thing we should do is name them; that way, they'll have something to answer to."

Finally, they decided to name the green- scaled Thunderdrum; who was also the most cooperative of the trio, 'Bing'. At Ruff and Tuff's suggestion, they named the blue one 'Bang', and the purple one 'Boom'. (The twins had wanted to call the green Thunderdrum 'Lloyd', but the others outvoted them; in favour of 'Bing'.)

Once the Thunderdrums began to recover from their stupor, Hiccup and the others tried to get them started on some "actual training". This didn't go as 'quite' as- planned, however…

Every exercise they tried to assign quickly turned into 'target- practice'; using whoever or whatever happened to be nearby at the time.

That is, until Thornado returned – alone, to the arena: As before, the three young Thunderdrums settled became the picture of innocence as soon as they set eyes on the older dragon; who they'd obviously adopted as a role- model.

Hiccup decided to use this to their advantage – as nothing else they'd tried seemed to be working. "Hey, Thornado: how about a little follow- the- leader?"  
The moment the grown Thunderdrum rose into the air, the formerly- unruly youngsters rose into the air; following Thornado as though they couldn't think of anything else they'd rather be doing.

A moment later, Stoick arrived to bring Thornado back to with him. Just as before; the moment the older dragon left, the 'new arrivals' stopped behaving.  
And, unfortunately, they found the gate; which had been left open, and shot through it.

By the time they'd caught up with the young dragons, the unruly trio had caused yet another wave of destruction, _and_ they'd managed to find Thornado… and Stoick.  
One look at his father's face, and Hiccup knew they were out of time.

"You need to find those dragons a new home, son: those Thunderdrums have to go."

After that, there was nothing else to be said.

 **Part Two – Relocating the Thunderdrums**

Getting rid of the infant Thunderdrums turned out to be… 'Eventful'. The first time they tried, the young dragons seemed to think this was some kind of day-trip: Every time the Berk Riders tried to leave, their unintended companions rose into the sky with them.  
Astrid came up with their second plan: to distract the young Thunderdrums by leaving them a small mountain of fish for them to eat. While the young dragons were busy eating, the riders and their dragons would "take the long way home".  
The baby Thunderdrums were waiting for them when they arrived back on Berk, having retraced the same route they'd used to get there.

As their dragons set down, Stoick said, "It looks like Thornado and I are going to have to give you dragon- training _geniuses_ a hand.

Hiccup and Toothless exchanged a look, and, speaking so that only Hiccup would hear; the black dragon said, **'This is starting to get embarrassing.'**

 _One hour later, en- route to Dragon Island; Again,_

"I hope this works," Hiccup commented, as the six dragons and their dragons flew.

"Thornado has a way with them: It'll work," Stoick said, turning around in his saddle to look back at his son, and the other riders and dragons.

' **Well I won't miss them,'** Stormfly admitted. **'I have nothing against Thunderdrums, and less against younglings, but those three were** _ **really**_ **pushing their luck.'** None of the other dragons spoke, but they seemed to be of much the same opinion as Stormfly.

 _Dragon Island_ ,

"Ok, guys: this is it," Hiccup said, addressing the three young Thunderdrums. "Berk just… isn't the island for you: there're too many Vikings, and not enough places for you guys to play." The three dragons began to whine and whimper; pleading for 'one more 'one more chance'.'

"Lets let Thornado have a word with them," Stoick suggested, as he and his Thunderdrum moved forwards. To the others, it was simply a roar; but Hiccup, and their dragons, understood; **'Stay here: you are not ready to live among humans; not yet, at least** _ **.'**_

"Well: that's done," Stoick said, as Thornado turned away from the three silent younglings. "Alright, Thornado; back to Berk." Thornado and Stoick rose into the sky, followed by the other riders and their dragons. Unlike before, the three young dragons made no attempt to follow them; though they continued to whimper, as they glanced around in apparent fear.

Then Thornado heard something he didn't like, and he spun back towards Dragon Island. The others followed suit, and they saw it – or rather 'them': Wild- dragons were emerging from their caves, and behind boulders: growling and snarling as they moved ever- closer to the defenseless baby- dragons.

Hiccup's eyes widened as he realized the full scope of the problem; "It looks like they might not be welcome on Dragon Island either… Maybe _that's_ why we found them out on the sea- stacks to begin with!"

Fishlegs understood immediately, "Oh: They were probably chased there!"

Thornado growled, and Stoick said, "Well: I guess we're not going to let any wild- dragons bully our boys; are we?"  
Hiccup grinned at his father, and nodded to the other riders. Together, they dove back in the direction from which they'd come.

 **Part Three – Stoick's Decision**

The baby Thunderdrums tried to defend themselves, but their best efforts seemed to only anger the other wild- dragons further: Bit by bit, the three younglings were forced to retreat into the insubstantial shelter of a tree.

Then Thornado unleashed a far more formidable attack, and several of the wild- dragons fell- back. But more were moving- in from another direction; though Toothless's plasma- blast forced the second group to scatter.

This continued for perhaps twenty minutes, and it showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Finally, Thornado turned to the young Thunderdrums, and began to give them instructions in their native- tongue.

Hiccup, who understood them, shouted a warning to the other riders: "COVER YOUR EARS!" Without question, the others did as Hiccup said.

They were just in time, too: A split second later, the Thunderdrums unleashed there combined power into a single attack; blasting the wild- dragons back, forcing them to withdraw.

A moment later, Hiccup lowered his hands, and looked around. He had to admit: he was impressed by what he saw; "They sure taught those wild- dragons a lesson!"

"Yeah… this time," Fishlegs said; pointing at the rocks, caves, and trees, as he spoke.

The others took a closer look, and they saw that Fishlegs was right: the wild- dragons had fallen- back for now, but as soon as the riders and their dragons had returned to Berk… the wild- dragons would drive the young Thunderdrums off of Dragon Island – just as they had once before.

Hiccup sighed, "What are we going to do with these guys? – We can't take them with us, and we can't leave them here…"

Even as Hiccup spoke, the three young Thunderdrums gathered around Thornado, speaking to the older dragon, and he to them.

Stoick considered the four of them, and he came to a decision: He jumped down from Thornado's back, and began to unbuckle Thornado's saddle.

For a moment, the other riders watched in silence, then Hiccup said, "Dad, are you… ok?"

"Yes, son," Stoick said, before turning back to his dragon. "I think we both know what we have to do; don't we, Thornado?"

Hiccup's eyes widened, "Dad… what are you doing?"

"I'm setting Thornado free," Stoick explained, pausing to glance over at the other riders and their dragons. "I'm doing what any chief would do in this situation… or any father."

Stoick turned back to Thornado, "These boys won't survive without you… Right now they need you more than I do."

Fishlegs began to sniffle, and appeared on the verge of tears; and several of the others felt their eyes grow 'a little' misty.

Stoick sighed, "I understand; I'd do the same thing; it doesn't mean I won't miss you…"

Thornado nodded, **'Thank you for understanding, Stoick… I will look after these younglings, and – when they are ready, we will return to Berk** _ **.'**_

Stoick nodded, "Until then, old friend…" Thornado stepped forward, and Stoick placed his palm on his Thunderdrum's scaly forehead. "Good luck; take care of your new family."

' **I will** _ **.**_ **'**

The rest of them said their own farewells, and Stoick clambered onto Toothless; seating himself behind Hiccup. Toothless winced a little, but he didn't complain.  
Then the riders of Berk and their dragons took to the skies, and began the return trip to Berk. As they flew, Hiccup turned in his saddle, and said, "Dad… you did the right thing."

Stoick gave his son a sad smile, and turned to look back at Dragon Island; to get one last look at Thornado, before the Thunderdrum dragons – and Dragon Island, vanished into the distance.

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	11. Chapter 11

**Cast- Out**

 **Part One – A Reckless Act**

 _Four days later_ ,

Hiccup, Toothless, and the other riders and dragons were flying over a large, forested section of Berk; but this was not leisure- flying time: This was another training exercise. Somewhere below, Gobber and a number of other men lay in wait; ready to 'ambush' them the moment they came within range.

The purpose of these 'live- drills': To ensure that, the next time they were ambushed for real; that everyone would know how to react, and what to do.

Stay within hearing distance; Stay as together as possible; and, above all, wait for Hiccup's call before attacking: Hiccup, who was – who was both the leader, and, undeniably, the best strategist; would decide how and if they would strike.

Simple as this _should have been_ , 'a few' people seemed to be having some trouble with this… 'Three' guesses who they were.

They'd been flying for perhaps an hour when they heard Gobber's voice from somewhere ahead, "CATAPULT FIRE!"

Immediately, the riders and their dragons began to scan the sky and ground ahead. A moment later, they saw first volley of boulders, and then the catapults themselves.

"Ambush!" Fishlegs, who was the first to spot the danger, called out.

"Plasma- blast, bud," Hiccup said to Toothless, who immediately launched a blue- bolt at the nearest boulder; which crumbled to dust on impact.

Meatlug ate the first boulder that came arching towards her and Fishlegs, and the others successfully dodged the rest of the boulders.

A moment later, the second volley arched into the sky, and Hiccup decided to make his first 'tactical call': "Fall- back, everyone!" As he spoke, Toothless turned back the way they'd come. "… There's too many of them."

 _Technically_ there weren't, but the point was for the others to practice following his orders without question. In a real fight, Hiccup would have been thinking several steps ahead, and might've spotted a danger that the others wouldn't notice until it was too late.

Astrid, Fishlegs, and _the Twins_ obeyed without question. Snotlout, however, snorted, "You fall back! I'm going in to finish this!"

Immediately, Snotlout dove towards the catapults and their attendants.

"Snotlout; that is not the exercise: Retreat!" Even as Hiccup spoke, he knew it was no good.

' **Those two need to be reigned- in,'** Toothless commented, darkly. **'They are 'becoming' a liability.'** Hiccup didn't answer, but the others could tell from his expression that he agreed.

Snotlout and Hookfang had swooped past the catapults, by now, and were coming in from the rear; while the men who'd been working the catapults leapt aside. Snotlout snorted again, "I've got your 'retreat' right here!"

As Snotlout spoke, Hookfang 'flipped' through the air, and – while upside- down in the air, launched a fireball at one of the catapults.

The blast sent the unmanned- catapult tilting to one side, and the trigger gave: sending a boulder flying along what should have been a safe flight- path.

By now, Snotlout and Hookfang had turned around, and heading back in the direction they'd come from; oblivious to the boulder, as it sailed past them.

Hiccup happened to glance back, a moment later, and saw the boulder coming: he jerked the reigns, and Toothless swerved… with mere seconds to spare.

Hearing the noise, Astrid glanced back: she saw the boulder, and her eyes widened. In the split- second she had, Astrid threw herself to one side – out of the boulders' path.

Unfortunately, the motion also carried her out of her saddle; Astrid screamed, and plummeted towards the ground below.

Toothless plummeted after her; determined to catch the Viking- girl before she reached the bone- breaking; fully aware that there would be no surviving a fall from that height.

Below, they saw Astrid slamming into branch after branch – as she neared the ground.

Painful though they undoubtedly were, these impacts slowed Astrid's fall just enough for Toothless to cover the intervening distance.

Seconds before Astrid would have hit the ground, Toothless shot below her, and she landed in Hiccup's arms.

Astrid stared up at Hiccup, her eyes unfocused; but before Hiccup could ask if she was all right, Astrid lost consciousness.

 **Part Two – Suspension**

 _Three minutes later_ ,

Almost three minutes passed before Astrid finally opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Hiccup and Fishlegs standing over her, with Stormfly just behind them; expressions of concern turning into relief.

"What… What happened?" she managed to ask, before she remembered.

A moment later, Hookfang landed in the clearing, and Snotlout slid down from his dragon's back. "That's right… That's how Snotlout retreats: he doesn't!"

He gazed around the clearing; taking in the scene, and the expressions on the faces of the other riders; "What? Why are you all looking at me?"

A brief pause, then, "Listen I _know_ why you're all _looking at me_ …" He formed his hands into fists, clenching his muscles; nobody moved; nobody spoke.

Finally, Snotlout relaxed his muscles, "What? It's Hiccup's stupid exercise!"

"You have no idea what you just did, do you?" Hiccup's tone was controlled, but the others could hear the anger in his voice. Everyone except for Snotlout and Hookfang, that is.

"Uh, yeah: Hookfang and I, just made the coolest trick-shot ever," Snotlout said, smugly.

"You almost got Astrid killed," Hiccup said, walking towards Snotlout, and gesturing behind him as he spoke.

"Come on, she's fine: look at her!" Snotlout said, gesturing back at Astrid as he spoke.

Hiccup glanced back, and saw Fishlegs helping Astrid get to her feet. As she stood, Astrid glared at Snotlout, "No thanks to you." Then she launched herself at Snotlout.

Before Astrid could cross the intervening distance, Hiccup caught her around the waist; holding her back, "Ok… Alright: Easy there, Astrid…"

At first, Astrid struggled to free herself; and her eyes remained fixed on Snotlout, "I am going to kill you…"

A minute passed, then, speaking so that only Astrid would hear, Hiccup said, "Let me deal with Snotlout, ok?"

Astrid took several deep breaths, then nodded, slightly. Hiccup released her, and Astrid – still grumbling, went to re-join the others; who were watching, a short distance away.

Hiccup turned back to Snotlout, "Ok: I'm tired of this."

" _I'm_ tired of this!" Snotlout declared. He paused for a moment, and then added, "Wait… What are you tired of?"

"You always have to do things your way," Hiccup elaborated.

"Yeah? Well, guess what: I look out for number- one!" Snotlout and Hiccup ducked a blast of fire from Hookfang, and Snotlout added, "… And 'One- A'."

Hiccup nodded, "Exactly: How can we rely on you, when you don't do what we ask?"

Snotlout crossed his arms, "So? What are you saying, _Hic-cup_?"

Hiccup's eyes narrowed, "They say that 'patience is a virtue', Snotlout; but you have reached the limits of mine: As of now, and until further notice; you're suspended from the Academy."

Snotlout's eyes widened, "What?"

Hiccup heard exclamations of disbelief from the others, but he ignored them; "You're grounded."

"You can't ground me… You're not my dad!" Snotlout protested.

"Yes, I can," Hiccup said, firmly.

"Oh, really?" Snotlout asked, looking Hiccup in the eye.

The silent- standoff lasted for perhaps ten seconds. Finally, Snotlout scowled, and dropped his gaze.

Snotlout was silent for a moment, and then he said, "Watch!" He turned on his heel, and clambered back onto Hookfang's back. As the Monstrous Nightmare rose into the sky, Snotlout called, "Ground this, Dragon- Boy!"

A few minutes later, Snotlout and Hookfang had vanished from view.

As she watched Hookfang flying away, Astrid felt a sense of satisfaction; knowing that Snotlout was finally getting what was coming to him. This feeling didn't last long, however…

Once Hookfang had vanished from view, it occurred to her that, by suspending Snotlout; Hiccup would now have something else he'd have to deal with – on top of everything else.

Feeling a little responsible, Astrid made her way towards where Hiccup and Toothless stood; "You didn't have to do that for me, Hiccup."

Hiccup sighed, "If we can't count on him during training, how can we possibly count on him the next time we run into Dagur?" He was silent for a moment, then added, "It was only a matter of time."

Astrid nodded, both in understanding and agreement; and the two of them made their way back to where their dragons waited, the others having returned to the Academy.

 _A short time later; the Dragon Training Academy_ ,

Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons arrived back at the academy almost ten minutes after the others had. Hiccup took one look around the arena, and rolled his eyes, "So; let me guess: Snotlout is out flying."

"You didn't hear it from us," Tuffnut said, as he measured something in Barf and Belches' dragon- enclosure.

Hiccup watched the twins work for a moment, then asked; "And… what are you two doing?"

It was Tuffnut who answered; "Well… We figured that with Snotlout kicked- out of the Academy, and our pen next to his; we might knock down a wall: Create a better flow…" Tuff paused and, turning towards Hiccup, he added, "Obviously in remembrance of Snotlout, of course: He will be forgotten… Sorry: He will _not_ be forgotten."

"Look, guys: I didn't _kick him out_ of the Academy; he's just on temporary suspension," Hiccup said, as he slid down from Toothless's back.

"Well: What choice do you have; after his flagrant disregard for your leadership?" Tuffnut asked. "I mean: he deserves to have his pen… merged with another pen!"

"Yeah, the only remaining choice is total expulsion," Ruffnut chimed in. "Or, you run the risk of losing the respect of the other riders."

"Wow; they actually have a point," Astrid commented; keeping her voice low enough that only Hiccup, Toothless, and Stormfly would hear.

The moment the words were out of her mouth, Astrid saw Hiccup's shoulders droop. He glanced back at her, and she noticed the same tired expression he'd worn earlier, after he'd suspended Snotlout.

Astrid could see that Hiccup knew they were right, and she saw the effect it had on him. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed Astrid felt with Snotlout: Snotlout causes trouble, Snotlout gets in trouble, and Hiccup ends up having to pay the price as well.

Hiccup turned away again, and was silent for almost a minute before he said; "I'll talk to Snotlout when he gets back… In the meantime, nobody's knocking down anything."

 **Part Three – Alvin's Return**

 _Meanwhile, on a smaller island a short flight from Berk_ ,

Almost an hour and a half after they'd left the others on Berk, Hookfang landed on a rocky, medium- sized island. "Welcome to our new home!" Snotlout said, as he surveyed the island from where he sat on Hookfang's back.

' _ **Seriously?**_ **'** Hookfang asked, looking around the island they'd just landed on.

Snotlout wasn't listening, "I shall call it… 'Snotland'!" He paused for a moment, and glanced down at Hookfang, and added, "You like that, don't you?"

Hookfang rolled his eyes, and didn't bother to answer.

Snotlout dismounted, and took a half- dozen steps forwards. Then he turned back to Hookfang, "Who needs that stupid Dragon Academy and Hiccup's dumb rules, right? … All of this is ours!"

Snotlout turned back towards the island before them, "That tree; ours…" The moment Snotlout looked away, Hookfang set the tree on fire; and went on to do the same to every feature of the landscape that Snotlout identified as being 'ours'.

"That wrecked Outcast ship: Ours … Wait, what?" Snotlout did a double- take, before making his way towards the 'newly- discovered' object.

' **Yes, I was wondering when you were going to notice that,'** Hookfang commented, as he followed.

 _Five minutes later_ ,

Snotlout was now 'reasonably sure' that there were no Outcasts in the immediate vicinity: If there had been, the noise Hookfang made in his attempts to be 'stealthy' would have brought them running.

An instant after Snotlout had reached this conclusion, a tremor shook the island. The moment it settled, Snotlout rounded on Hookfang; "You had to pick an earth- quaky island, didn't you?"

' **Last I checked,** _ **you**_ **were the one steering,'** Hookfang retorted.

Before Snotlout could reply, the island shuddered again. An instant later, a patch of rock just behind where Snotlout was standing crumbled, and an all to familiar dragon rose into the sky.

"SCREAMING DEATH … We've got to get back and tell the others!" Snotlout started back towards Hookfang, but the Screaming- Death lashed out with its tail.

Hookfang snatched his rider out of harms' way with seconds to spare, and took to the air: the Screaming- Death close behind them.

It wasn't long before the Screaming- Death caught- up with them, however: when it did, Hookfang lost his hold on Snotlout; who dropped to the beach below, and lay there… dazed.

The Screaming- Death was the first to spot him, and Snotlout wouldn't have been able to get out of the way in time. But before the Screaming- Death could strike, a figure appeared – seemingly from nowhere, and carried Snotlout to safety.

A moment later, the Screaming- Death slammed into the earth – exactly where Snotlout had been lying, and it vanished from view.

Hookfang's initial reaction had been relief, but then he recognized the new- arrival, and his mood darkened, **'** _ **You**_ …'

"Me," Alvin the Treacherous confirmed. "Now: the Screaming- Death could be back any minute, so now might be a good time for _us_ to be leaving."

Hookfang growled again, but he saw no other alternative: The Screaming- Death _could_ return at any moment, and there was no other way to get Snotlout into his saddle until he regained consciousness…

Reluctantly, Hookfang allowed Alvin; who kept a firm hold on Snotlout, to clamber onto his back. **'Don't get any ideas, Alvin: and if you so much as scratch my rider; I will roast you alive.'**

 _A short time later, back on Berk_ ,

Hookfang set- down in the middle of the Village Square, and Alvin set Snotlout down on the ground.

At first, everyone's attention was fixed on Snotlout; villagers asking one another if he was dead, though nobody seemed particularly troubled by the possibility.

Then Stoick's voice rose above the clamour, "Ok… Ok: What's going on here?" The crowd parted, and Stoick and Hiccup made their way to the front of the crowd.

Hiccup was the first to notice Hookfang's second passenger, "Alvin!"

"Alvin," Stoick said; his voice hard.

 _Five minutes later, in the Great Hall,_

Gobber stood near the front of the hall, reading from a scroll; "Alvin the Treacherous: You are hereby charged with the following crimes: Treachery; Attempted treachery; Premeditated treachery; Conspiracy to commit treachery, and…" Gobber squinted at the parchment, but the last few lines of script were so crammed in, he couldn't make them out. Finally, he simply said, "Well… you get the idea!"

The other Vikings in the hall immediately began shouting, as everyone tried to make their voice heard over all of the others that filled the hall.

"Settle down, everyone," Stoick ordered; and the shouting in the hall gradually faded to silence. "Alvin the Treacherous: You will be remanded to our jail until a proper sentence can be handed down."

"Is this how you treat a man whose saved a valuable life?" Alvin asked.

Stoick took a step towards Alvin, "I know you, Alvin: You didn't do this for Snotlout; you did it for yourself."

Alvin held his manacled hands out in front of him, "What could I possibly have to gain from coming here? I did it for us both, Stoick… I have a proposition for you!"

"Not interested," Stoick said, gesturing to two other men to take Alvin to his cell.

Once Alvin had been lead away, Astrid and Fishlegs hurried over to where Hiccup was standing. Before Hiccup could speak, Astrid said, "Hiccup: Snotlout just woke up, and apparently Alvin wasn't the only big nasty creature on that island!"

"The Screaming- Death," Fishlegs said, picking up where Astrid left off. "It's closing in on Berk."

"The Screaming- Death," Hiccup mused, sounding surprisingly calm. "I see."

Astrid could almost see the gears turning in Hiccup's brain, "What are you thinking, Hiccup?"

"It doesn't make sense," Hiccup said. "The Screaming- Death starts by sinking those other islands, and now it launches repeated attacks on either Berk, or Dragon Island; I can't shake the feeling that it's looking for something, but what could it be…?"

Hiccup's sentence drifted off, and he was silent for almost a minute. Finally, he said, "I'll worry about that later: Come on!"

Curious, but knowing that this wasn't the time to ask questions, Astrid and Fishlegs followed Hiccup out of the hall.

 _Ten minutes later; the Dragon Academy_ ,

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, and their dragons arrived at the arena to find Ruff and Tuff continuing to develop their plans for merging Snotlout's plan into theirs.

For the next half- hour, the six of them; Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, Fishlegs, and Meatlug; discussed possible strategies to use against the Screaming- Death.

They were just beginning to work on some combat- drills from dragon- back when Snotlout and Hookfang shot into the arena; colliding with Fishlegs and Meatlug, and sending the other pair flying into the far wall.

The moment Hookfang's feet touched the arena floor, Snotlout slid down from Hookfang's back, "Hey, everyone; did you miss me? – Of course you did."

"Snotlout, I'm glad you're ok…" Hiccup began.

Snotlout had made his way across the arena to where Astrid was standing. "Who, me? Oh, I'm more than ok!" He grinned at Astrid: apparently under the impression that she should be glad to see him.

Astrid rolled her eyes, and made her way across the arena to join Hiccup; Stormfly following close behind her.

"You broke the rules – again," Hiccup continued. "And you nearly got yourself killed in the process."

"So?" Snotlout asked.

"So you're still suspended," Hiccup finished.

"What?" Snotlout asked, not believing what he'd just heard. "But I found the Screaming- Death… I captured Alvin the Treacherous!"

"Weren't you unconscious when you 'captured' him?" Astrid asked; drawing air- quotes around the word 'captured', as she spoke.

"Unconscious like a fox," Snotlout said, grinning.

Several moments passed in silence, then, until Tuffnut turned to face the other riders and said, "That doesn't even make sense to me; and I am foxy like a badger."

"Look: nothing's changed… I'm sorry." Hiccup turned to Snotlout's dragon, "Come on, Hookfang."

Reluctantly, Hookfang followed Hiccup to the entrance of his enclosure, and went inside. At which point, Hiccup swung the door closed, and pushed the lever that lowered the beam into place.

The other dragons, with the exception of Toothless and Meatlug, also elected to remain in the arena that night – so that Hookfang would have some company.

Before long, the other riders packed- up for the day, and made their way back to the village.

 **Part Four – Ultimatums**

 _Atop a ledge overlooking the Dragon Arena_ ,

Dagur lowered his spyglass, "Perfect: The dragons are locked- up in the arena… Aw: by the time Hiccup and his dragon- dunderheads get there, it'll be too late!"

He turned back to the four men who'd accompanied them, and – after taking several steps in that direction, opened the chest his men had carried to their current vantage point.  
He opened the chest: nestled inside, was a dragon- root; which, when placed in the arena, would cause the dragons in the arena to turn on one another.

Dagur turned to Savage, "Bring word to Captain Vorg: Tell him to proceed as instructed."

Savage nodded, and hurried off to deliver Dagur's message.

 _Late that night_ ,

The inhabitants of Berk were awakened in the dead of night, by a commotion emanating from the Dragon Academy.

By the time the Hiccup, Toothless, and the other riders arrived, a terrible scene met their eyes: A small force of Berserkers had taken up positions around the arena; and the noises from inside made it clear that something was very wrong…

Hiccup and Toothless discovered this by making a pass over the arena, before rejoining the others on the ground, "Dagur's put dragon- root in the arena so the dragons will attack each other."

"What do we do?" Astrid asked; wide- eyed.

"The first thing we need to do is get the gate open. Then, Fishlegs and Meatlug; you need to get the dragon- root out of the arena, and as far away as possible. I'll keep the dragons under control until you're clear."

The moment they, and the villagers who'd joined them, made to rush the gate, Dagur's men moved to intercept them.  
That, apparently, was what the Night- Furies who'd been circling above the arena had been waiting for: Before the two forces crossed the intervening distance, twelve plasma- bolts slammed into the ground at the Berserkers' feet; the force of which sent the Berserker warriors flying.

Sixty seconds later, the Vikings of Berk had retaken the arena- entrance, and the iron- grate had risen almost high enough for Meatlug to enter. The instant they had enough space, Fishlegs's Gronkle and Hiccup slipped into the arena.

At some point, Alvin appeared – seemingly out of nowhere, and joined the villagers as they forced the Berserkers back from the arena doors.

At first, the villagers were wary of allowing Alvin to join their lines; but, after Alvin had sent a Berserker – who'd been about to cut Stoick down from behind; flying back into two of his comrades, they returned to their respective battles.  
They weren't about to trust Alvin, nor had they forgiven him, but – for the present, they accepted that they had more important things to worry about.

They heard Dagur's wordless bellow, and his men regrouped and launched another attack on the entrance to the arena.

Then, from his vantage point – overlooking the arena, Dagur watched uncomprehendingly, as Hiccup's eyes glowed yellow, and he said, **"Stop, and listen to me: Meatlug is going to come into the arena, now. She's going to take the dragon- root, and she is going to leave: You** _ **will not**_ **try to stop her."**

When the dragons in the arena _obeyed_ Hiccup's order, making to move to stop Meatlug; when the Gronkle zipped into their midst, plucked the dragon- root up off of the arena floor, and shot back out the way she'd come; Dagur's jaw dropped, but no sound came out.

Forcing himself to focus, Dagur searched for some advantage that might allow him to salvage his plan.

A moment later, he found it: By sheer chance, Meatlug had knocked into Stoick, as she flew out of the arena; sending Chief Stoick's sword flying out of his hand.

Shouting to the two men nearest to him, Dagur rushed to take advantage of the opening: By the time Stoick had recovered from the impact, Dagur and his men stood over him – swords at the ready.

Dagur heard someone calling Hiccup's name, and – a moment later, Hiccup himself came into view.

When Stoick's son saw the three of them, Dagur saw an unsettling combination of disbelief and anger in Hiccup's eyes. In a voice that seemed far too calm for the situation, Hiccup said, "What do you want, Dagur?"

Dagur smirked, though it was mostly an in an attempt to conceal his unease at what he'd just seen Hiccup do with the dragons; "What I've always wanted: the Night- Fury!" He paused for a moment – to let that sink in, then he continued, "We'll be leaving now, and if I see one dragon following us – rider or not, you're going to be looking for a new chief."

Dagur and the men with him lead Stoick away, while the other Berserkers fell- back, and made to follow after them.

A few minutes later, the last of them had vanished from view.

Once he was sure that the last of the Berserkers had gone, Hiccup turned to his friends.

Astrid and Stormfly were standing near- by; neither spoke, but Hiccup could tell they were ready to act, as soon as he had a plan.

Hiccup pulled himself together, "Ok: We take the south- pass, cut them off at the beach, and smash their boats before they even…"

"Don't do it, boy," Alvin said, as he joined them where they stood. "You back a man like that into a corner, and you ' _might not_ ' like the outcome."

Hiccup was about to argue, but Alvin overrode him, "Dagur is not going to hurt your father… not yet: Stoick is not what he wants."

Astrid could tell that Hiccup was struggling with the decision, and she wished there was something she could do to help… Finally, Hiccup nodded.

Alvin was promptly lead back to his cell, and placed under the watch of a Night- Fury sentry. (Alvin knew that he had no friends on Berk, and _even fewer_ in the Night- Fury colony, so this would be sure to put a stop to any escape- plans he might have been pondering.)

Once everything else that required immediate attention had been seen- to, the other villagers, riders, and dragons made their way back to their beds; to get what rest they could. They knew perfectly well that they were going to need it.

 _Ten minutes later,_

Only Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons remained in the Dragon Academy. For almost five minutes, neither of them spoke.

Finally, Astrid said, "Your father will be fine Hiccup… You'll figure something out: you always do."

Hiccup managed a small smile, "I've got a few ideas, but no plan; yet."

Astrid made to climb onto Stormfly's saddle, but before she did, she turned back to Hiccup, "If there's anything we can do to help…"

Hiccup nodded, "I'll let you know… Thanks."

 _The following morning, in the Great Hall_ ;

The Great Hall was packed with Vikings, and all of them were shouting: demanding to know what was to be done regarding the matter of Stoick's capture.  
It was common knowledge that a scroll; Dagur's ultimatum, had arrived a quarter of an hour earlier, and were demanding that it be read aloud.  
When, at last, Gobber had been forced to relent; and read the ultimatum, the shouting began in earnest: "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!" was the first voice that rose above the resulting clamour. "WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?" another man bellowed. "WE MUST TAKE UP ARMS!" someone else shouted. Others spoke- up, then: arguing that, if they retaliated, their Chief would die before they'd have the chance to free him.

Ruff and Tuff were standing to the rear of the hall, and they weren't helping matters;  
"WE'RE SO ANGRY!" Ruffnut shouted.  
"HEY, EVERYBODY: SHAKE YOUR FISTS, AND SHOUT TO THE SKY!" Tuffnut suggested, which only stirred up the crowd even more.

Gobber was standing at the front of the hall, trying to settle the crowd; "EVERYONE SETTLE DOWN! SETTLE…" Movement to the rear of the hall caught his attention, then, and the smith fell silent.

The doors to the Great Hall had been pushed open, and eight Night- Furies entered hall.

Silence fell, and people moved aside as the new- arrivals made their way forwards; accompanied the sounds of metal on stone.

A moment later, the Vikings realized that the rightmost 'Night- Fury' at the head of the group was not, in fact, a dragon at all: Hiccup, clad from head- to- toe in his dragon- scale armour; walked up the length of the hall. Once there, he removed his helm, and turned to face the villagers gathered before him.

For almost a full minute, nobody spoke.

Finally, Astrid came forward; "Hiccup; This came for you: It's from Dagur… I was about to come looking for you…" As she spoke, she handed Hiccup the scroll.

Hiccup nodded to Astrid, unrolled the scroll, and scanned the message. He was silent for almost a minute, then; "This won't do."

The moment the words were out of Hiccup's mouth, shouts again filled the Great Hall; as the occupants struggled to make their own questions or comments heard over the shouts of those around them.

Hiccup nodded to two Night- Furies who'd accompanied him and Toothless; who tilted their heads back, and launched two plasma- bolts into the air.

The bolts collided a moment later, and the shouting quickly faded to silence; as everyone's attention returned to Hiccup.

Astrid, however, had barely noticed the plasma- bolts; her gaze had remained fixed on Hiccup: He seemed to have grown years older, taller, and he seemed to radiate a sense of calm control.  
Astrid felt her cheeks grow warm, and forced her thoughts back to the situation at hand.

"We have time to reach Outcast Island; we have time to plan," Hiccup said, into the silence. "What we _do not have_ , however; is time to waste, or room to make mistakes…"

Hiccup was interrupted, then, when the doors of the Great Hall were again pushed open, and Fishlegs rushed in. The husky dragon- rider hurried to the front of the hall, and stopped, panting heavily, in front of Hiccup.

The moment he could speak, Fishlegs said, "Screaming… Coming…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Take a breath, there, Fishlegs," Hiccup said, taking a few steps towards the new arrival, as he spoke.

Fishlegs took several deep breaths, then said, "I was on patrol with Meatlug… The Screaming- Death: we saw it! It's eating its way straight to Berk!"

Before panic could spread, Hiccup asked, "How much time do we have?"

"Not much," Fishlegs admitted; fidgeting a little as he spoke. "It was just off Dragon- Island when we saw it… It was tried to get to Dragon Island, but the wild- dragons forced it back; now it's on its way here!"

"We'll take care of it," Astrid said, gesturing towards the other riders, as she spoke.

Before the other riders had taken five steps, however, Hiccup had said, "That won't be necessary."

The silence that followed stretched for almost a full minute. Then Astrid understood; "You figured it out, haven't you… You know what the Screaming- Death is looking for!"

"I think so, but just to be sure…" Hiccup turned to one of the Night- Furies, and growled several lines in the dragons' native- tongue. The Night- Fury nodded once; loped towards the doors to the hall; and vanished from sight.

 _Five minutes later_ …

Five minutes later, the Night- Fury returned. With him, was Toothless's father; who was carrying Alvin the Treacherous, the dragon's claws biting into the Alvin's arms.

The Night- Fury dropped Alvin in a heap, about ten feet away from Hiccup; then folded his wings, and moved a little to one side.

Hiccup took several steps toward Alvin, and spoke before he could; "A few months ago, you left a clutch of Whispering- Death eggs in a tunnel of the far side of the island; including a large, red egg…"

Alvin grinned, "You know, I was wondering about that one: How'd it turn out?"

"That was the Screaming- Death's egg," Hiccup said, raising an eyebrow. "Ever since it's hatched, it's been destroying whole islands; looking for something, or, I think, someone… What I want to know from you, though, is this: The dragon that _laid_ that clutch of eggs… Is she still on Outcast Island?"

"Yes," Alvin said, shortly.

Astrid's eyes widened, as she understood; "The Screaming- Death… he's been looking for its family!"

Hiccup nodded, "He searches an island, then destroys it; in order to narrow- down the area left to search; and avoid having to revisit the same islands repeatedly. He keeps returning to Berk because this is where his egg was when he hatched; to him, this makes Berk the most likely place for her to be."

Hiccup turned back to the four other Night- Furies who'd accompanied Toothless and himself into the Great Hall, "If you would, I'd like the four of you to deliver a message for me; to the Screaming- Death… Tell him: 'I know what he's looking for, and where he can find it.' And that I'd like to meet with him to discuss a possible truce."

' **What if he asks what** _ **you**_ **hope to gain from this?'** one of the Night- Furies asked.

Hiccup allowed himself a small smile, "Tell him that the same people who are holding his mother, have also taken my father prisoner: If either of us strike directly, Dagur will use his respective hostage against us."

"However, if we coordinate our attacks, he can keep the Berserkers and Outcasts occupied, while we send a team in to secure the Outcasts' Dragon- Cells, _and_ save my father. Dagur doesn't _know_ that he has anyone he can use as a shield against the Screaming- Death: We should use that to our _mutual_ advantage." The Night- Fury who'd spoken inclined her head.

Then another Night- Fury spoke- up; **'Where would you be meeting him?'**

"The cluster of sea- stacks two miles from Berks' eastern- shore: They're far enough away from Berk for us to mount a defensive line; should the need arise," Hiccup replied.

Satisfied with Hiccup's answers, the four Night- Furies shot out of the Great Hall, and arched in the direction of Dragon Island; where the Screaming- Death had last been seen.

Once the Night- Furies had left to deliver their message, Astrid took a moment to gaze around the hall.

Every face wore a similar expression: A mixture of shock, awe, disbelief; and, somehow, an even higher level of respect and awareness of just how keen Hiccup's mind really was.

Astrid was impressed by Hiccup's plan, but not as surprised as many of the others were… It was a lesson that she'd learned long ago: never try to out-think Hiccup.

While everyone else in the Great Hall were trying to make sense of what had just happened, Astrid again moved to join Hiccup; "That's quite a plan you came up with… Do you really think it'll work?"

"It should, though there is one more thing we'll need," Hiccup said, loud enough for the others in the hall to hear. Several people jolted out of their reveries at this, and watched as Hiccup turned to Alvin. "A guide: You're going to show us a way into Outcast Island, Alvin, and if you try anything… well: let's just say you'll be spending some 'quality time' with Toothless's father, without the protection of a cell- door between you."

Alvin's face went slack, but he recovered quickly; "No need for threats: I've got a score to settle with Dagur; and I just 'happen' to know about a tunnel that'd take us directly to the heart of the island."

Astrid glared at Alvin, then turned to Hiccup, "Hiccup: you can't seriously be thinking about trusting _Alvin_! – This tunnel probably doesn't even exist… or Dagur's men might've already found it!"

Alvin snorted, "How do you think I survived the lightning- blast Dagur's Skrill shot at the ocean, after I abandoned ship? – The entrance to the tunnel's about twenty feet below the surface; and a little to one side, from where that happened. Also; I've got a man on the inside, and he assures me that the tunnel is clean."

Astrid frowned, "How do you know we were even there?"

"My inside man," Alvin smirked. Turning to Hiccup, he added, "He also told me all about your little trick with the Skrill's lightning… Getting Dagur to step in that puddle, then goad him into attacking: Skrill's lightning traced a path right down the it's harness, and into Dagur; if I heard it right… Clever, very clever; that!"

 _Fifteen minutes later_ ,

Fifteen minutes after the four Night- Furies had left to deliver Hiccup's message to the Screaming- Death, a lone Night- Fury nudged the door to the Great Hall open, and slipped inside.

He opened his wings again, and leapt back into the air; landing a moment later near to where Hiccup stood.

"I take it you found the Screaming- Death," Hiccup said. "Did he happen to ask why I'd taken an interest in 'his cause'?"

The Night- Fury nodded, **'He did.'**

Hiccup waited for a moment, then asked, "… And?"

The Night- Fury let out a sound that seemed half- growl, and half- purr, and 'said', **'He will meet with you.'**

Hiccup grinned; evidently pleased with the development, "Then we should be on our way, too: we don't want to keep the big- guy waiting."

 **Part Five – 'The Truce'**

 _Thirty minutes after leaving the Great Hall_ ,

Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, Stormfly, Alvin, and six Night- Furies were waiting at the cluster of sea- attacks that Hiccup had named as the site of their truce- meeting with the Screaming- Death. –– More accurately: they were on the sea- stack that was the closest of that cluster to Berk itself.

Half a mile away – in the direction of Berk; two- dozen Night- Furies, the Twins, Fishlegs, and their respective dragons, also waited: ready to serve as their last line of defense. (Hiccup doubted that they'd need it, but he knew it was a necessary precaution.)

 _Twenty minutes after their arrival_ ,

' **They're coming!'** one of the Night- Furies; who'd been keeping watch, reported.

Sure enough, an unmistakable, unforgettable, unmistakable dragon had appeared on the distant horizon – though it was growing larger with every passing second.

 _A short time later_ ,

The Screaming- Death let out a growl that could've been heard from a hundred feet away.

Then the massive, bone- white dragon landed on the sea- stack nearest to the Berk delegation. The moment it had, and the three Night- Furies who'd accompanied it here re-joined their kin, the tension- level dropped considerably.

Then the Screaming- Death 'spoke'; **'I am not here for pleasantries, or word- games; humans… This benefits me, and it benefits you. Now: where is she?'**

It was Hiccup who answered, "First, I want to be clear on one thing: after today, you are not to attack Berk again. We help you; you help us…"

'… **And then I will be on my way.'** The Screaming- Death finished, curtly. **'Whether your island – or that 'Dragon Island' of yours is atop the waves or beneath them is nothing to me; so long as you uphold your end of our deal**. **So I will ask again…'**

"Outcast Island, "Hiccup replied, evenly; before proceeding to outline his plan for the Screaming- Death.  
Once he'd finished, Hiccup also explained how the Screaming- Death's egg had ended up on Berk; and finished by explaining how Hiccup himself had only just puzzled out what the Screaming- Death had been searching for; all this time. (He left out the bit about Alvin, however; there was no point getting into that, now.)

After Hiccup had finished speaking, the Screaming- Death spent several minutes considering what Hiccup had told him. **'Fine: can we go now? From what you say, you have a far shorter deadline to keep then I do.'**

Hiccup glanced up at the sun, and was almost surprised to see that it was almost noon. "That we do," Hiccup agreed.

Without another word, the riders hurried to mount their dragons, and their group rose into the sky.

 **Part Six – The Hidden Tunnel**

 _An hour and a half later_ ,

When, at last, Outcast Island appeared on the horizon, the Screaming- Death veered away from the rest of their group; angling around so as to come at Outcast Island from the opposite side.

This would serve two purposes: First; it would draw a large portion of Dagur's men to the far side of the island, always a good start.

Second; As he flew over and around the island, the Screaming- Death would be able to clear the near- side of the island of any guards who might – by sheer chance, be somewhere that would give them a little _'too good'_ of a view of the nearest shore to them.

The rest of them watched from where they waited: Once the Screaming- Death flew around to the far side of the island, without unleashing a resounding roar (– which was their code for 'hold your position'), they knew it was safe to move- in.

"Here," Alvin said, a moment later, nodding down at a patch of water just beneath them. "The entrance to the tunnel is just below that outcropping."

Hiccup nodded to their Night- Fury escort, and four of them dove down into the patch of ocean that Alvin had indicated.

A moment later, one of them bobbed back to the surface, **'It's is right where Alvin said; the others have secured the entrance.'**

The other riders and dragons each took a deep breath, and them the dragons plunged into the water below.

The Night- Fury who'd confirmed the tunnels' existence led them towards and through the submerged opening, and – a moment later, they were gulping in lungful's of fresh air, and crawling ashore, to join the other Night- Furies.

The riders' dragons took a moment to warm a few clusters of boulders; so the riders could dry their clothes.

When everyone was ready, perhaps five minutes after they'd arrived in the cavern, they made their way down the tunnel; and deeper into Outcast Island.

 _Five minutes later_ ,

Five minutes later, they reached the end of the tunnel, and saw someone who – they thought, had died months ago…

"Mildew?" Hiccup asked, incredulously. "This… traitor is your man on the inside?"

Mildew spun around, saw the five Night- Furies unsheathing their teeth and growling, and almost leapt inside the cage of the Whispering- Death he was in the process of feeding; with fish from a bucket he was holding. (And, judging by the looks the Night- Furies were giving him, Mildew probably _would have been_ safer in the Whispering- Death's cage; if the Night- Furies had any say in the matter.)

Alvin seemed to realize this, and he quickly hurried forward; "Well; he's always been faithful to me!"

Hiccup glanced back, rolled his eyes, then turned back to the older man, "Mildew; have to say: I never thought I'd see the day that you'd be playing nanny to a nursery of dragons." Astrid couldn't help but laugh at the jibe.

Mildew glanced back at Hiccup; "An interesting turn of events, to say the least." A moment later, the Whispering- Death he'd been feeding snatched Mildew's walking stick out of his hands, and Mildew tried to grab it back out of the creature's mouth.

A moment later, the Whispering- Death realized that the things attached to the staff were _teeth_ – and not fish, as it had initially thought; spat out the staff, and sent Mildew flying backwards.

Hiccup turned around, and he saw another Whispering- Death; this one noticeably larger than the others in the near- by cages. He shot Alvin a questioning look, and received a nod of confirmation.

Hiccup approached the enclosure, followed closely by Toothless. Even as they approached the gate from their side, the Whispering- Death mother approached from the opposite side. A moment later, Hiccup had his palm resting on the dragon's snout.

Then, just as Hiccup had once given it to him, Toothless shared (some) of his knowledge of humans with the dragon that stood before him and Hiccup.

Once he was certain that the Whispering- Death could understand him, Hiccup told her about the Screaming- Death; and the events of the past few months; careful to phrase his words so as not to place 'blame' on the Screaming- Death (– just to play it safe).

Then the Whispering- Death mother said, **'Let us out of these cages: We will help.'**

With evident reluctance, Mildew unlocked the doors to the enclosures, and the Whispering- Deaths surged into the air.

When the mother was free, she roared once, and all of her children gathered around her. **'Ok; boys,'** she 'said', **'Lets get ready to** _ **rumble**_ **!'**

 **Part Seven – 'Lets Get Ready to Rumble!'**

 _Meanwhile, in the Outcasts' Dragon Arena_ ,

Stoick's arms had been bound behind his back, and he'd been kneeling in the center of the Outcasts' Dragon Arena for hours, now, ever since he'd been led up from the boat that had brought him to Outcast Island.

Dagur had decided to come by and 'visit'… Or, to be more accurate: gloat (– and, Stoick suspected, to personally keep an eye on _him_ ).

Then, an hour or so after noon, a familiar roar filled the air, followed by an all- too- familiar dragon; "The Screaming- Death!" Stoick cursed, "What in the name of Thor is that thing doing here?"

"That had better not be one of Hiccup's dragon- friends," Dagur said, rounding on Stoick as he spoke.

Stoick snorted, "The Screaming- Death is an island- destroying monster that not even my son's been able to tame!"

Dagur shrugged this off, sent a large portion of his men to "bring (him) its head".

Then Dagur forgot all about the Screaming- Death, and moved on to 'more important matters'… (To him, this meant gloating.)

"I've got big plans for that Night- Fury! He's going to be the new symbol of the Berserkers: Every corner of the Archipelagos will know and fear him!"

Dagur was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't notice when one of his men vanished into the arena floor in a puff of dust.

"Of course: we'll need to change all of the sails, and shields; and I'll need a new belt- buckle… What's that going to cost? – Ah, never mind: I'll worry about that after we've burned Berk to the ground!"

Two more men vanished while Dagur was pondering the impact that re-outfitting his armada would have on the Berserkers' finances.

After the fourth man vanished into the arena- floor, the others started to get fidgety. At one point, Captain Vorg tried to get Dagur's attention; "Sir, there's…"

"Not now, Captain; can't you see I'm ranting 'deranged…ly', over here?" Dagur fumed, and – without even bothering to turn around as he spoke, said; "Now: I don't want to hear another word from any of you until either Hiccup's brought me my Night- Fury; or Stoick's been thrown into the ocean… Whichever one comes first."

A split second later, Captain Vorg was pulled 'into' the arena floor…

"Questions, Captain… No? Good: You finally getting it through your thick- skull that I don't like having to repeat myself."

Unable to hold it in any longer, Stoick chuckled, "You really should've listened to your man, Dagur: I 'think' it might've been important."

Dagur rolled his eyes, and started to turn around; "Ok, Vorg, what's so important that…" By now, Dagur was down to fewer than ten men in the arena, and he turned around just in time to see four of them vanish into the arena floor. "What the…? Secure the prison–"

Before Dagur could complete his order, cracks opened in the floor, and his remaining men dropped through the arena- floor, and into the hallways of the dragon- cells below.

Dagur caught a fleeting glimpse of Hiccup, his Night- Fury, and his other riders and dragons rise up out of the openings in the arena- floor; closely followed by a half- dozen rider- less Night- Furies!

Stunned by what he was seeing, Dagur stumbled backward a few steps, lost his footing, and fell into one of the still- widening fissures in the arena floor.

He landed next to Captain Vorg, who was on his feet, but looked dazed; as though he'd been hit in the head by a piece of falling rock; "Sir; I think something's happening…"

Dagur struck Vorg across the face, sending the other man flying backwards. His voice heavy with sarcasm, Dagur said, "Really? I hadn't noticed… OF COURSE 'SOMETHING'S HAPPENING'!"

Like he had the night before on Berk, Dagur searched for a means to regain his lost- leverage. He saw a Whispering- Death dragon that his men had encircled; crossbows levelled, and decided he'd take what he could get…

 _Meanwhile, in the arena above_ ,

Hiccup had just cut the ropes that bound his father's hands behind his back, when a roar sounded from overhead: The Screaming- Death hung in the air above the arena; seeing Hiccup, it growled something to him in its native- tongue.

Hiccup looked around, "I know, I know: she's around here somewhere; just give me a sec…"

An instant later, they heard the roar; and both Hiccup and the Screaming- Death whirled to face the direction the sound had come from.

Immediately, Hiccup knew they were in trouble: Dagur and twelve of his men had managed to form a circle around the Whispering- Death mother, and had crossbows leveled at her…

Before Dagur could speak, however, a voice that Hiccup hadn't been expecting to hear reached his ears; coming from somewhere above them, "NEVER RETREAT; NEVER SURRENDER!"

Hiccup looked up to see Snotlout and Hookfang; diving towards Dagur and his men…

Hiccup ordered Snotlout to fall- back, but Snotlout ignored the order: Instead, Snotlout had Hookfang fly in a loop in the air; breathing fire into the center of the circle they formed, and creating a fireball.

A moment later, Hookfang swung around the far side of the fireball, and propelled it towards the circle of Berserker soldiers…

It struck, a few seconds later, and the force of the blast knocked the Berserkers off their feet; breaking the circle.

Immediately, the mother Whispering- Death rose out of the ruins of the underground dragon- cells, and joined her estranged- offspring in the air. A moment later, the other Whispering- Deaths had risen into the sky; to join their mother, and meet their long- lost brother.

 **Part Eight – Resolution**

They parted, a few minutes later, and the mother- dragon's tone became stern, **'And what do you say to the humans who helped free your family from captivity?'**

' **No way: I can't…'** The Screaming Death protested.

' **You can, and you will;** _ **Now**_ **.'**

Obediently, the Screaming- Death shot towards the ground, where Hiccup and the rest of their group had gathered.

The Screaming- Death dropped so that it was looking directly at them, and roared. Then, with evident reluctance, it said, **'Thanks.'**

It shot back into the sky without waiting for a reply, but Hiccup called up anyways, "You're welcome!"

When the Screaming- Death re-joined his family, in the sky, he said, **'Can we go, now?'**

' **Yes, we can,'** His mother replied, sternly. **'To Dragon- Island; and you are going to apologize to all those nice dragons whose homes you destroyed.'**

The Screaming- Death protested, but, in the end, he followed his mother towards Dragon Island.

A moment after the Whispering- Death family had departed, Snotlout and Hookfang landed, a short distance from where the others were waiting, atop their dragons.

Before anyone else could speak, Snotlout said, "Ok: I know I wasn't following orders, Hiccup, but I… Well… Uh…" Snotlout's sentence drifted to silence.

"Snotlout," Hiccup interjected, "You did the right thing."

"Yes, I did, but…" Snotlout frowned. "Wait; what? … I was reckless!" As Snotlout spoke, Hookfang began to make his way towards where Toothless and the others waited.

"Sometimes 'reckless', can be courageous," Hiccup held out a hand towards Snotlout. "Your suspension is… well; suspended."

For a moment, Snotlout frowned, as though he were expecting a trick of some sort...

Then his expression changed, as he realized that Hiccup meant what he said.

Snotlout grinned, held out his right- hand, and the two shook.

A sudden bellow from somewhere behind Hiccup made Toothless spin to face the direction of the sound: Dagur had clambered up and out of the pit that had once been the Outcasts' Dragon Arena, and was charging towards Hiccup and Toothless – axe in hand…

Before he reached them, however, a fist shot across his path: Dagur ran face- first into the blow, and fell backwards. Alvin was standing over him; "Hello, Dagur… _Remember me_?"

Dagur's face paled, "Oh, no…"

The others saw no reason not to let Alvin have his fun, so they waited for close to five minutes; after which Alvin walked back to the edge of the pit, and released his hold on Dagur. The Chief of the Berserkers slid down the sloped side of the pit, and landed in a heap at the bottom.

After Dagur's 'un-ceremonial dismissal', Stoick and Alvin walked a little ways away from the others, in order to have a private discussion.

Given the distance separating them, the others had no way of knowing exactly what was said. However, near the end of their conversation, the two men shook hands, and then re-joined the rest of their group.

While the rest of their party was otherwise occupied, Hiccup gestured silently towards two of Toothless's kin, and nodded once. The Night- Furies dipped their heads in silent acknowledgement, and then both they and Hiccup went back to what they'd been doing.

At long last, the time came for them to return to Berk: the riders mounted their dragons: Stoick joined Hiccup on Toothless's back, while Hookfang consented to carrying Alvin.

The riders and dragons rose into the sky, and set- off on the return- trip to Berk.

As they flew, the Night- Furies Hiccup had selected slowly drifted to the rear of the group. Then, silent as shadows, they turned, and flew back in the direction they'd come.

 **Part Nine – Dagur's Warning**

Night was falling when Hiccup, Toothless, and those with them finally arrived back on Berk.

Word of their return spread quickly, and it wasn't long before the villagers began to gather in the Great Hall: eager to hear how events had unfolded.

 _The Great Hall, a short time later_ ,

The Great Hall was remarkably silent – considering how full it was, as first Stoick, and then Hiccup delivered their respective accounts of the events of the past day.

When Hiccup finished his account, silence fell in the hall… Broken only when one of the listeners commented that they were "glad that it was all over, now."

Several others voiced their agreement, and the sounds of conversation began to fill the hall.

"It isn't over… Not quite," Hiccup's words immediately caught the attention of everyone in the hall, and the hall again fell silent.

"What do you mean, Hiccup?" Astrid asked, frowning slightly as she spoke.

Hiccup turned to face Astrid – who was standing a few feet to Hiccup's right. "There's another little 'matter' I need to attend to…"

Hiccup paused, raising his gaze to the doors of the Great Hall; which had begun to swing inwards. When he saw the new arrivals, he smiled; "Good… Our 'guest' has arrived."

A few people turned towards the doors, but they caught only a flicker of motion, as two Night- Furies rose back into the air; and flew down the length of the hall…

An instant later, the foremost of the two Night- Furies dropped a struggling Berserker- warrior at Hiccup's feet: Dagur the Deranged.

An instant later, Dagur was back on his feet; _"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? … THIS IS AN ACT OF WAR!"_

"This is a _courtesy_ , Dagur," Hiccup corrected, his eyes glowing yellow for a brief moment, before returning to their normal color. "You've made some powerful enemies, of late, Dagur; and I thought it only fair to warn you."

"' _Powerful enemies'_?" Dagur scoffed. " _If you think that I'm scared of you and your little… dragon- riders, you're wrong: I have a hundred- ship armada!"_

Hiccup smirked, "First: I think you mean an _eighty- eight_ ship armada – unless you've managed to replace the twelve you lost in your last excuse for an invasion…"

Dagur's face reddened, but Hiccup ignored him.

"… Secondly, when I said 'powerful enemies', I was referring to the Night- Furies... In case you've forgotten: you recently sent Berk an ultimatum demanding that we turn- over _one of there own_ to you, in exchange for my father… Did you think they'd just let that slide?"

Dagur's face had turned as white as snow; He tried to speak, but no words came out.

"After you left Berk – having taken my father prisoner; I spent several hours conferring with the Night- Furies… It seemed only right, seeing as you'd already told us that you wanted Toothless."

Hiccup's expression hardened, then; "The Night- Furies are a closely- knit colony, and – as you might expect, they… 'Didn't take it well'. In fact, by the time Toothless and I left, over a hundred of his clan- mates had asked to have – and I quote: 'the honour of killing (you)."

With some difficulty, Dagur managed to say; "If you – or your dragons – kill me, it… it'll be a… an act of war! My armada…"

Hiccup rolled his eyes; "Yes, yes; I explained that to them: They didn't like hearing that, but they accept that 'you can't always get what you want in life'… Finally, they agreed to let me settle the matter; and that is why you are here."

Hiccup paused, then, to unsheathe his sword, 'Fury', from the scabbard on his belt; "Soon after we formed out pact with the Night- Furies, one of their elders gave me a unique deposit of ore; from which both this sword, and this armour were forged: An ore the likes of which never has and never will be seen again."

Then, without warning, Hiccup sent the black blade flying towards a stone pillar that stood in an empty corner of the hall: the blade buried itself to the hilt in the stone column.

Hiccup flicked his sword- arm palm- up, and Fury leapt free of the column, and – a split second later, came to rest in Hiccup's hand.

Sword in hand, Hiccup turned his attention back to Dagur; the latter's face remained as white as milk, and his eyes were bulging…

"I assume you've heard of the 'three- strikes policy', Dagur?" Hiccup asked, his tone level.

Dagur tried to speak, but couldn't get the words out. He tried again… Nothing. Finally, he nodded.

A feeling of terrible anticipation seemed to fill the hall: According to Viking Law, the 'Three Strikes Policy' was one of the few 'rules' that could bypass retaliation on the part of another tribe; following the execution of one of its members…

Two Repeated Offences, Two Warnings: The third could be punished by Death – and the tribe to which the offender belonged had no grounds to retaliate... They had been warned.

Next to Hiccup, at the front of the Great Hall, stood a metal stand with three lit candles. Hiccup's sword moved through the air as swiftly as silently as a shadow, and the candles immediately went out.

"One: You intended to use that Skrill you found to attack Berk; failing only because we got to you before you could bring it here." – Hiccup tapped the nearest candle as he spoke, and the upper half clattered to the floor…

"Two: You tricked Trader Johann into buying scrap- metal containing Smothering Smokebreath eggs from Breakneck Bog; with the idea that they'd steal our metal – including our weapons; to clear the way for your invasion... – Talk about a plan backfiring!" Hiccup sent the second candle falling to the floor, though the sound was lost as several Vikings chuckled at Hiccup's jibe at Dagur's expense.

"Three… Well, I'm _sure_ you know this one: You took my father prisoner, and demanded that Toothless be turned over to you in exchange." – The silence in the hall was absolute, so the sound of the third candle hitting the floor sounded like someone sounding three beats on a drum.

Dagur was trembling slightly; and his face was, if possible, even paler than it had been a moment before. He tried to say something, but, once again; seemed unable to form words.

Hiccup locked eyes with Dagur; "If you want to send your fleet against Berk in _honest battle_ , by all means; do so: I'm sure our Night- Furies would enjoy the entertainment, and the chance to 'work with' moving targets… But if you try to pull another stunt like those I've already named – _especially_ another attempt to abduct _anyone_ from Berk…"

Hiccup's sword was in motion again; this time, it stopped a mere half- inch from Dagur's throat...

"… You will live long enough to regret it, and no longer: Either by 'Fury', or by the claws of one of the Night- Furies; you will die… Understood?"

"You're… You're bluffing!" Dagur stammered. "You… You wouldn't… You couldn't…" He managed to meet Hiccup's gaze for almost a full ten seconds, then he dropped his gaze, and fell silent.

Satisfied, Hiccup turned to the Night- Furies who'd brought Dagur to Berk; "I think he got the message… Give him a lift back to Outcast Island, would you?"

In the native- tongue of the Night- Furies, Hiccup added; " _Feel free to 'rough him up' a bit… To 'make sure he got the message' – but don't inflict any lasting harm._ "

The two Night- Furies smiled at Hiccup. Both rose into the air – the second one plucking up Dagur; than they shot out of the Great Hall, and vanished into the night.

Hiccup glanced at his father, then: trying to gauge his reaction to Hiccup's decisions. What he saw came as something of a relief: A combination of surprise, amusement, and approval.

When he noticed his son looking at him, Stoick nodded, and said; "I don't think we'll be needing to worry about Berserkers anytime soon."

Gobber shook his head; "I'd be surprised if we _see_ Berserkers anytime soon; and good riddance!"

Several others murmured their agreement, and the tension in the hall quickly drained away.

As soon as they were able, Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons slipped out of the hall; claiming that they 'needed some air.'

 _ **To be continued**_ **…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Snoggletog**

 **Part One: The Gathering**

 _Three weeks later,_

The village of Berk was bustling. Vikings of all ages were running about in all directions: putting up decorations, and making general preparations for the coming holiday.

The holiday, if you're wondering, was 'Snoggletog'; their... _only_ yearly holiday, actually.

And _this_ Snoggletog was particularly important, as it would be the first one to be celebrated with dragons. Everyone was talking about how it was going to be the best Snoggletog _ever_.

Then 'it' happened…

Stoick had just finished congratulating everyone on their work, when they heard noise from above them. Looking up, they saw a _massive_ flock of dragons flying overhead. Immediately, all of _their_ dragons started acting oddly; suddenly becoming restless. A few jumped onto the roofs of houses, roaring at the sky. Then they began to take off, rising into the swarm.

At first Astrid watched with the other villagers, then a terrible thought occurred to her:

Mere weeks ago, during Berks' eel- pox epidemic, Stormfly had told her that Hiccup's **'** ** _connection to dragon- kind is such that we dragons, or the five of us – at least, would know if he were hurt'_** –– ' _What if_ …?'

Astrid immediately began to scan the crowd, speaking as she did; "Where's Hiccup?"

No one seemed to know, but she heard others taking up the question. Then a sound from behind her made Astrid turn; "No, no, no… Don't leave Stormfly! Don't go! Please..."

But the Deadly Nadder rose higher, and higher; finally joining the swarm passing above.

Almost all of the dragons had taken flight, by now. Fishlegs had run off to find Meatlug, but everyone else was gathering: wanting to know what was happening.

A moment later, Astrid spotted Hiccup and Toothless; who were beginning their descent towards the village.

Occasionally, Toothless would have to swerve to one side – to avoid colliding with one of the rising dragons, but both appeared to be unharmed.

Normally, Hiccup would have little need to fear injury, as he was the proud owner of a full- set of dragon- scale armor. However, in the spirit of the holidays, Hiccup had left his armor on its stand, and worn his 'traditional' Viking helmet instead.

As rider and dragon drew nearer, Astrid noticed that this second helmet was missing, but she pushed the thought away: Hiccup was safe, as was Toothless… That was what mattered.

By the time Hiccup and Toothless were coming in for a landing, the other villagers had noticed them, and were charging in their direction.

Astrid was the first to reach them, and had time to say; "Hiccup; what's going on? Where are they going?"

Before Hiccup could answer, the other villagers had mobbed them…

"Why did they leave?"

"What's happening?"

"What if they never come back?"

"SETTLE DOWN! – LET HIM SPEAK!" The gathered Vikings gradually fell silent, and Stoick turned to his son; "Hiccup, where've all of our dragons gone?"

Hiccup shook his head, "I... I don't know… But I know who will." Turning, he called, "Toothless, can you help us out, bud?"

There was a brief pause, then, then the Night- Fury spoke; **'** ** _Every three years, near- all of dragon- kind gathers on... another island, as part of a mass- migration; known to us as 'The Gathering'. The duration may vary, but during that time, the females of all species lay their eggs; and raise their young._** **'**

A chorus of exclamations greeted the news. Stoick again gestured for silence, than said; "But... We're at peace, now; why wouldn't those of you who live here stay on Berk?"

Toothless snorted; **'** ** _This migration is driven by instinct, and it has gone unchanged for years beyond counting. Also: our peace is new, and preceded by centuries of… 'Conflict'_** **.'**

Several people winced at the way he said 'conflict', though there was no anger in the dragons' tone. **'** ** _You cannot expect such things to change so much, so quickly: We are at peace, yes; but the past is not so easily forgotten, and our young are our future._** **'**

Then someone asked, "I take it you won't tell us where this island is, then?"

 **'** **No.'** Toothless said, his voice firm. **'** ** _My kind, the Night- Furies, to not partake in 'The Gathering' – we have long been of a more solitary nature; so it is not my place to disclose such information… The others will tell you if, and when, they choose_** **.'**

"But… They _will_ come back, won't they?" someone in the crowd asked.

Toothless nodded; ' ** _They will return, as soon as the younglings are able to fly: that is the soonest that they_** **can** ** _do so_** **.'**

Their questions answered, the crowd gradually broke up; returning to their previous tasks, though with a lot less enthusiasm.

It looked like it would be a dragon- free Snoggletog, after all.

 _That evening,_

The general mood of the villagers did not improve, over the course of the day.

As evening approached, the Vikings of Berk gathered in the Great Hall.

The atmosphere, however, was anything but festive.

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff, and Snotlout were walking through the streets of Berk. Toothless, meanwhile, was standing by a cliff; watching the sky in the direction the other dragons had flown off in.

"Well, that was depressing," Ruffnut commented.

"I know," Astrid agreed. "I was looking forward to spending the holiday with Stormfly."

Fishlegs seemed... strangely cheerful; until Tuffnut turned to him and asked; "What are you so happy about? Don't you miss Meatlug?" –– Fishlegs mumbled something about "missing her so much", then he 'broke down' and hurried away.

After Fishlegs had vanished from view, Astrid spoke up; "I've got an idea: Let's come up with a bunch of new holiday traditions! – You know… To bury the sadness!"

Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff remained silent, but Hiccup nodded; "You know, Astrid might be on to something."

"Easy for you to say," Tuffnut retorted, gesturing to Toothless. "Your dragon's the only one that _didn't_ leave… Must be nice."

With that, they started to drift off, each making their way home.

 _The following morning,_

The following morning, Astrid put the first of her ideas into motion; a new traditional drink: yak- nog.

When she found the other riders, Snotlout agreed to try some, but... afterwards no one else would. Astrid felt a little disappointed, but managed to hide it; "Well, you don't know what you're missing. I bet Hiccup will love this."

 _A short time later; in Gobber's forge_ ,

Astrid found Hiccup – alone, in the forges; "What're you up to?" The moment the words were out of her mouth, she noticed that Hiccup looked… a little lost.

Hiccup shrugged; "I gave Toothless his Snoggletog gift…"

Astrid merely nodded: Hiccup had already told her about the barrel of 'Rainbow Salmon'.

It was a special 'breed' of salmon that could only be found after a weeks' flight to the south, making it a _rare delicacy_. Hiccup had, with all secrecy, ordered it through Trader Johann – as a special- request.

"And… Did he like it?"

Hiccup grinned, and nodded; "He did: He ate some, told me that he 'had something (he) needed to do', then he flew off… Haven't seen him since."

Astrid frowned, surprised, and looked around the forge: looking for something to distract Hiccup. She spotted something on the workbench, and moved forward; "What are you working on?"

Before she could get a good look at the object on the table, Hiccup had tossed a leather sheet over it; "You'll have to wait to find out… It's a surprise."

Understanding, Astrid smiled, nodded, and gave Hiccup a mug from her tray; "Well: I'm off to spread some more holiday cheer!"

 _The following day,_

Toothless still hadn't returned by the following morning, and his absence weighed heavily on Hiccup; just as much as losing the helmet his father had given him, during his and Toothless's last flight.

Hiccup was dwelling on this, when he almost ran into Fishlegs; who was carrying a large basketful of fish. He watched Fishlegs hurry away, and slip into a nearby barn. Curious, Hiccup hid until Fishlegs had left, and opened the barn door. A split-second later, something slammed into him… Then he was flying: clutching the ridges to both sides of Meatlug's head.

Then he heard Astrid's voice from somewhere below; "Hiccup? Where are you going?"

"I have no idea!" Then, Hiccup and Meatlug were on their way to... wherever it was that they were going.

 _Minutes later,_

Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff, and Snotlout were gathered in the barn where Fishlegs had been hiding Meatlug. Fishlegs was fidgeting, "I can't believe her".

"You can't believe her? You kidnapped your dragon!" Astrid couldn't believe _Fishlegs_ , at the moment.

Then Tuffnut called them over to a bale of hay near the back of the barn. Meatlug had laid her eggs before she'd left. As soon as she saw them, Astrid 'hatched' her next idea for a Snoggletog tradition. She told the others, and – eventually, they agreed to help.

 _That evening,_

That evening, after everyone else in Berk had gone to bed; they returned to the barn and gathered up the eggs. Then they separated – each with a portion of the eggs. Between the five of them, they left a Gronkle egg for every family in the village.

When Astrid was down to her last egg, she glanced up to see Toothless coming in for a landing. He was a ways up, but he saw her and the egg. For some reason, he started shaking his head 'no'.

Shrugging, Astrid placed the last egg in her last house, and then came back outside; where the others had gathered.

As soon as Toothless saw her, he said, **'** ** _Please tell me the five of you didn't just put dragon eggs in all the houses?_** **'** They nodded, **'Oh... not good, not good, not good.'**

"Um... What's not good?" Astrid asked, a little apprehensively.

 **'** ** _There's..._** ** _another_** ** _reason why dragons don't lay their eggs here on Berk. See; when dragon eggs hatch, they..._** **'**

{- _BOOM_ -} Something exploded in the house Astrid had just left. An instant later, something shot through the front door. Then, a few seconds later, a baby Gronkle landed at their feet.

 **'** **...** ** _Well… They do_** ** _that_** ** _. It's probably too late now, though; a clutch of eggs usually hatch within a few minutes of each other_** **.'**

A second later, it began. {- _BOOM_ -}, {- _BOOM_ -}, {- _BOOM_ -}, {- _BOOM_ -}...

Vikings came pouring out of their houses, into the square – doors blasted off their hinges, roofs were blown to bits. Chaos reigned, and Astrid stood there in stunned disbelief – watching the mayhem unfold.

It didn't help when Snotlout chuckled, turned to her, and said, "This was your best idea, yet!"

Stoick arrived just before the great wooden Snoggletog tree, in the middle of the square, caught fire. He spotted them, and bellowed, "WHAT IN THOR'S NAME IS GOING ON?"

Astrid smiled a small, apologetic smile; "Um... The eggs explode." (Unfortunately, that was when the egg in Stoick's house hatched; taking a third of the roof with it… – That 'probably' didn't help.)

 **Part Two: The Dragons' Rookery**

 _The previous day,_

Flying on a dragon was all- good – when you're actually on the dragon. Fortunately for Hiccup, Meatlug was willing to slow enough for him to clamber onto the Gronkle's back. How long they had been flying, he couldn't say; how much further they had to go… Again: No idea. All he could do was hold on, and find out when he found out.

 _Some time later,_

They'd flown into a bank of fog so thick that Hiccup could only see a short distance in front of him. When the dragon- headed prow of a shipwrecked boat appeared in front of him, he almost fell of Meatlug.

' _A little warning would've been nice,'_ Hiccup thought. ' _Though... Toothless might've done the same thing just to be 'funny'_.'

Then they came out of the fog, and Hiccup saw the island. It was rocky a rocky piece of land, with craggy mountains on the far side, and arms that reached around the front to shelter a fair sized bay. The inner shore was a sandy beach, and there – at the edge of the beach, and across the lower hills; were the dragons.

When they landed, Meatlug trundled off, while Hiccup took in the scene around him. A Deadly Nadder was 'delivering' a catch of fish to a nest- full of her hungry hatchlings and near- by; a Gronkle was pushing its eggs towards a pool of water.

Curious, Hiccup made his way over; kneeling by the pond and peering in. He caught a glimpse of a flash, than several more; than baby Gronkles began appearing at the surface. He smiled down at them, and then he spotted an egg that had been missed. "Hey, look; you missed one..."

He started towards it, but, instead of following, the dragon pulled back. An instant later, there was a {BOOM} – and Hiccup was blasted off his feet. Fragments of eggshell fell around him, and he looked back to see a yawning – perfectly safe – baby Gronkle. Several thoughts came to him at once, but what he said was; "Man, it's a good thing those don't hatch on Berk."

Getting to his feet, it occurred to him that Toothless might be here, _somewhere_ … So he started to make a circuit of the island. He didn't find Toothless, but – after several hours of searching, he crested a ridge, and found...

"Hookfang!" He hurried down the short slope, and gave the dragon's snout a quick hug, before moving on to "Stormfly! … You have no idea how happy I am to see you guys! – And you have... babies!"

 **'** **Hiccup: Good to see you! How is Astrid?'** Stormfly asked, turning to look in Hiccup's direction, as she spoke.

Hiccup gave them a quick update on events at Berk, adding, "They understand why you left, it's just... everyone was really looking forward to the first holiday with dragons... A holiday I should probably be getting back to." Getting to his feet, he turned to Hookfang, "So, what do you say? – Think you can give me a lift back home?"

The Monstrous Nightmare let Hiccup get on its back, and they rose into the air. Before they rose out of hearing distance, Hiccup called, "I'll see you all back on Berk when you're good and ready."

Immediately, adult dragons started to open their wings and rise to join them. "Oh, no – no – no... I think I just started the return migration." –– Then the hatchlings made to follow, some of them only a few minutes old. Seeing their enthusiasm, Hiccup relented, "Well; if you insist."

A few of the young dragons _tried_ to fly, but, when it became clear they weren't ready, they struggled back to the cliff edge. A few of the adult dragons noticed, and began to turn back.

"Well, this is never going to work." Then Hiccup had his brainwave. "Hang on – I've got just the thing!" With that, Hiccup directed Hookfang and a few of the other fully- grown dragons to the boat he'd seen while he was on Meatlug.

 _Close to an hour later,_

At long last, all the younglings with Berk- parents had loaded on to the ship – and the adult dragons understood what they had to do. (Fly, and don't let go until they land.)

At last, they were ready to go.

 **Part Three: Return**

 _Astrid;_

Berk was... well… Not much to look at: Some of the damage would be easy enough to fix, but a number of buildings had been almost entirely destroyed.

She'd explained her idea to give dragon- eggs as Snoggletog gifts, and waited for a reply.

When Stoick finally spoke, it was to the group at large, "There's a lot of work to do... We'd best start."

Astrid had been put to work, fixing a hole in someone's roof, while the others began salvaging any useful materials.

She felt miserable: Not only had her ideas for Snoggletog traditions failed, but she'd managed to destroy most of the village, too.

As Astrid worked, her thoughts returned to the yak- nog that had been her first idea; ' _I was so caught- up in trying to turn the holiday around, I didn't even stop to_ _taste_ _the drink… I even gave some to Hiccup..._ '

That took her thoughts in a whole new direction; ' _Hiccup... What's Hiccup going to think, when he finds out about this?_ '

She and Hiccup had grown close, of late; the past few months in particular. Neither of them had actually 'put it into words', but she was 'pretty sure' they both knew what 'the word' for it was.

She tried to force the thought aside, but the question kept sneaking up on her: ' _What's Hiccup going to think, when he finds out about this_?'

The sound of voices from somewhere below her jolted Astrid out of her reverie: Stoick Gobber's voices, to be exact...

STOICK: "This is a disaster..."

GOBBER: "Oh, it's not that bad."

STOICK: "Oh, 'Not that bad?' The village is destroyed, the dragons have... have gone and left us! Let's face it: This holiday is a complete... What are these people looking at?"

Astrid looked up and, sure enough, something was flying towards them. The thing... No; things, drew steadily nearer, and – finally, they could see what it was...

STOICK: "It's Hiccup!"

ASTRID: "... And our dragons!" As she spoke, Astrid clambered down the ladder, and joined the others.

The atmosphere changed in an instant. The crowd of Vikings was clapping and cheering. Although a few people also looked confused…

Finally, someone asked the question that everyone was thinking; "What are they carrying?"

A few minutes later, the battered hull of a Viking warship was landed; slowing to a stop, about twenty feet away from them.

The dragons let go of the ropes they'd been carrying, and started to find places to land. The Monstrous Nightmare, Hookfang, landed just in front of them – and Hiccup slid off his back.

Hiccup grinned at the assembled Vikings, and then turned back to the ship; "We're here: Come on out, guys!"

A few seconds later, the first of the baby dragons came into view; then they were pouring out, and surging forward after their parents.

Then Stormfly was next to Astrid, **'Astrid! Meet younglings! Meet younglings!'**

An instant later, Astrid found herself cooing over a half- dozen baby dragons; all clamoring for her attention.

Then, Stoick's voice boomed over the noise of the reunion, "EVERYONE: GRAB YOUR DRAGONS! TO THE GREAT HALL! We finally have something to celebrate!"

It was slow going, but the Vikings and dragons were soon making their way to the Great Hall.

As she was starting to make her way up, Astrid passed Hiccup, and saw his expression.

"Toothless wasn't at the rookery," Hiccup explained, when he saw Astrid looking at him, questioningly.

"Actually... He came back this morning. I don't know where he is now." She paused for a moment, and then added; "Maybe we'll see him at the Great Hall..."

Hiccup agreed, and continued on with them, following the progression, as it made its way forward.

As they walked, a part of Astrid wanted to tell Hiccup about everything that had happened while he'd been gone.

Another part of her dreaded the thought of his finding out… Unsure of whether she wanted to know how he'd react.

In the end, she decided to wait, and tell him what had happened at the first opportunity that arose; however hard it might be.

 _In the Great Hall, some time later,_

 _Astrid;_

Hiccup had made several rounds of the Great Hall, by now: There were Vikings and dragons everywhere, but there was no sign of Toothless.

He was about to start a third circuit when Astrid caught up with him; "Hiccup: I know this must be really hard for you; seeing everyone with their dragons... But you really did a wonderful thing – Thank you."

She kissed him lightly, and pulled back, just in time to see the doors to the hall open, and Toothless poking his head in.

Without thinking, she added, "Man; I wouldn't want to be you right now! I mean: You brought back everyone's dragon _except yours_."

"Yeah; that's... Not helping..." Grinning, Astrid pushed Hiccup around, until he saw

Toothless. As soon as he had, he made a beeline for the new arrival.

"Toothless! – Don't ever do that to me again; do you have any idea how worr... What – is – in – your – mouth?" A second later, the Night Fury... 'Plopped' a very slimy helmet onto Hiccup's head.

A number of onlookers uttered exclamations of disgust, but Hiccup's focus was elsewhere; "Yes, you've found my helmet... You've found my helmet! – That's where you've been?"

 **'** ** _I saw how much it means to you, so I decided to go and retrieve it_** **.'** Toothless paused for a moment, and then added, **'** ** _Maybe I should have said something, but I wanted it to be a surprise._** **'**

 **Part Four – "Happy Snoggletog!"**

 ** _The following day; early morning..._**

It was early morning when the main Snoggletog celebration in the Great Hall of Berk, finally began to wind down. It would have lasted longer, but there was work to be done, the following day. The 'dragon egg incident' had damaged almost every house in the village. (It would be a slow start as it was, considering how much people had been drinking.)

For Astrid, the festive mood had evaporated the moment she'd left the Great Hall: It had been _her_ fault – _all her fault_. She looked over the village – or what was left of it, and sighed. It had seemed like a perfect idea...

 _The dragons had gone, as was most of the villagers' holiday cheer. Then she'd had her brainwave. "Let's make up a bunch of new holiday traditions! – You know... to bury the sadness!" Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, and Fishlegs remained silent, but Hiccup had said; "Astrid might be on to something."_

 _The traditional drink – yak-nog; had been her first idea: She'd made it herself, and then set out to spread 'holiday cheer.' It was only after several people had turned it down that she'd tried it, and discovered how disgusting it had been._

 _Then her idea involving the dragon- eggs' had gone and 'backfired' – Literally…_

The sound of someone calling her name brought her back to herself; "Astrid… Are you ok?" It was Hiccup, emerging from the Great Hall just behind her.

Scrambling to marshal her thoughts, Astrid managed to smile back, and say, "I'm fine."

They started down the steps, and through the village.

After walking in silence for several minutes Hiccup asked; "What happened while I was gone?"

Astrid managed to say; "It's my fault." Then she lost her composure, and tears began to fall.

She felt ashamed, but – while she'd usually hide her emotions, she trusted Hiccup. Besides, they were well off the beaten path and pretty much everyone else was at home or 'finishing their drinks'.

Hiccup seemed surprised, "Why would you say that?" He put a hand on her shoulder, and led her over to a short stonewall. They sat down, and Astrid started to talk.

She explained everything: starting with the yak-nog failure, and ending with the exploding dragon eggs left behind by Meatlug – Fishlegs' dragon. Hiccup listened without interruption, than he was silent for a few minutes. Now that the story was out, Astrid felt somewhat more relaxed, but tense. She'd just admitted to two major blunders, to someone she... well, 'liked'.

Finally, Hiccup said, "Astrid… your ideas may not have worked- out as you'd hoped; but you were trying… While everyone else just gave up, you were doing something about it. And, for what its worth, your ideas were good."

This wasn't the reaction had expected. "The yak-nog was terrible, Hiccup; I tried it. And the eggs..." She gestured around the village. "... If you hadn't come back with the dragons, Snoggletog would've been ruined. It was my fault."

"Astrid: _none of us_ knew that _all_ dragon- eggs would explode… I'm supposed to know about dragons, and I only found out when I was at the dragons' rookery", Hiccup continued. "As for the yak-nog; things almost never turn out perfectly the first time: My shield took six tries to get everything working properly! It's a process: It's all about seeing what you come up with on the first try, and making changes until you get it right."

It wasn't easy, but Astrid managed a small smile; "Thanks, Hiccup."

Hiccup considered her for a moment, and Astrid could tell she hadn't fooled him. Hiccup was silent for a moment, and then he said; "I was going to wait a few days before bringing this up; you know; let 'Snoggletog' be 'Snoggletog', but… We've gotten pretty close, these past few months, and I've been thinking… 'Why not make it official?' – you know?"

Astrid felt her heart beating… Pausing just long enough to gather her courage, and send a silent prayer to Thor, Odin, or any other god (– excluding Loki) who might hear her, that she hadn't misunderstood, she asked; "You mean as in girlfriend- boyfriend…? A… a couple?"

She saw the gleam in Hiccup's eyes, and a small smile on his face. He nodded, and started to say something, but before he could get the words out, Astrid was hugging him – pulling back, a moment later, when she heard Hiccup rasp out the words; " _Need – to – breathe.._."

Hiccup took several deep breaths, then turned to Astrid – who was blushing like she'd never blushed before. Hiccup grinned, shook his head, and said; "Well; that answers that, I think… So: how about we head back up to the Great Hall, and add something else to the list of things to celebrate?"

Astrid managed a nod; still blushing, and they set out: back in the direction from which they'd come.

 _Ten minutes later_ ,

The only person who seemed surprised, at any level, by their revelation was Snotlout; who simply stood there: staring at Hiccup and Astrid – who were holding hands, now, as though someone had slapped him in the face with a wet fish.

The other occupants of the hall responded with a hearty bellow of approval, and several toasts to the new couple.

Hiccup saw the same twinkle in his father's eye that he'd seen several times before, when he and Astrid were together: Only now, he knew what it meant.

 ** _THE END_**


	13. Author's Note

**'Vikings of Berk' Storyline:** (Additional stories may be added as new seasons are released.)

 **1\. Rise of The Dragons**

 **2\. Defenders of The Skies**

 **3\. Race To The Edge (based on Netflix series)**

4\. Additional seasons (?)

 **5\. The Alpha Dragons (based on HTTYD 2 movie)**

 **6\. The Kraken Lords (my own work)**


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